Finding Home
by Agnes Stewart
Summary: "His hand curled into a fist, as if trying to pluck me out of the window and bring me to him. I didn't know who he was, but he was always there. As long as I could remember, he had lived next-door, watching me with broken eyes. I didn't know his name." This is Paige, as she discovers her past. Please read and review.
1. Prologue

Prologue

I ripped the sheet off my bed, wrapping the white blanket around my shoulders. It was my cape, my robe, my gown, and I was the princess. Henry told me he wasn't sure who I was in his book, but I didn't mind, I would write my own story. I moved to my window, pretending I was a queen addressing her people. I pushed the window open, a smile on my face. The window swung open, and I paused, my mouth frozen open. There he was.

He wore all black, and his hair was cut short. He stood at the window, his hand pressed against it. The corners of his mouth tugged up in a small, sad smile when he saw me. His hand curled into a fist, as if trying to pluck me out of the window and bring me to him. I didn't know who he was, but he was always there. As long as I could remember, he had lived next-door, watching me with broken eyes. I didn't know his name.

Backing away from the window, I hastily pulled it closed and sat down on my bed. He unnerved me, the way he watched me, the sad smile playing at his lips, the tears waiting ever so patiently to fall. I wanted to help him, but I was scared. _Scared, scared, you foolish child, _I said inwardly, _he hasn't done anything to hurt you. Grow up._

"Paige! Time for dinner!" my mom called as the smell of chicken nuggets floated up to my third floor bedroom. Removing the sheet from my small shoulders, I shouted back, "Coming!" Hopping to my feet, I ran down the stairs, into the open arms and the sweet aroma of home.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N I hope you liked that. This is my first try at a Once Upon A Time fanfic. I know it's short, but this is the prologue. This chapter is before Emma arrives in Storybrooke. I'll update soon. Please review!**


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

It all started with the yellow bug, and whom it brought with it: Emma. The clock ticked. It was 8:16, then 8:17, the hands traveled around and around, in constant pursuit of each other.

Emma brought change. She also started _them_: the dreams. They felt so real. I fell asleep at night and slipped into a different world. I was the same, maybe. I fell into a world of stuffed rabbits, mushrooms, markets, tea parties… and the stranger. He held my hand as I fell asleep at night, he told me stories. I suppose it scared me, this world. _Where are my parents? _I would ask him. His face would fall, and tears came to his eyes. _I'm your papa, Grace. You know that. _I was confused. _Don't call me that. I'm Paige. Are you mad? _

Sometimes though, I couldn't speak. I only watched myself (she was more like another girl) and the stranger. As we (I should say _they_) ran through the woods and had picnics by the lake (or maybe just _a _lake), it terrified me at first, those dreams.

"Paige?" Henry said, and my head snapped up to meet his eye. "Can I sit here?" he asked, gesturing to the seat next to me.

"Of course," I said, moving my backpack to clear a spot for him and placing it on the ground.

"Thanks," he said and sat down next to me and pulled his storybook out of his bag. "I figured out who Ms. Blanchard is," he said.

"Who?" I asked, scooting closer to him and peering at the open book. There was an image of a dark haired woman holding a sword, surrounded by a group of dwarves. "Snow White," I said breathlessly.

Henry nodded. "Emma's her daughter," he said, flipping to a page with Snow White holding onto a small baby. The child was wrapped in a blanket with the name _Emma _stitched into it.

"Oh… Henry?"

"Yeah," he asked, looking up at me.

"Do you know who I am?" I asked. I hastily added, "in your book I mean."

"No," he admitted. "I'll find out, though. Don't worry."

"I won't worry," I said, smiling softly. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"I hope so."

"I know you will," I said, as the bell rang. Springing off the bench, I gathered up my things and Henry and I walked towards the school building.

. . . . . . . . . . .

The bus ride home was short, despite my living on the outside of town. The bus let me off a bit down the road of my house, meaning that I had to walk past the stranger's house. Before Emma, before _change_, I walked smoothly past, but now, my curiosity peaked as I neared it. The steps were marble, and as I placed my foot on the first one, a shudder passed over me. It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't not pleasant. What was it? Brushing away these feelings, I continued up the steps, coming to the porch. In the corner, near one of the railings, was a telescope. Peering through it, I was shocked to see that it showed my front porch and the steps leading up to it.

_He watches me more than I thought. _A sudden shiver of fear came over me and I took the steps down two at a time. Once I was back on the asphalt, I sprinted towards home. Away from that house. Away from him.

I reached my home and climbed up the steps, my heart pounding. I opened the front door and was greeted by my mother's voice. "Paige? Is that you, dear?" She came into the room, pulling on her coat. "I have to go to a meeting, and I'll be back late. You can heat up dinner once you're hungry, right?" She opened up the hall closet and strapped on her high heels.

"Yeah," I mumbled. "Where's Dad?"

"He's at work. He's staying late tonight. You'll be okay, right?" I couldn't help but believe that the look of concern on her face was as fake as her hair color.

"I'll be fine," I said, setting my backpack down.

"Good," my mother said, giving me a rushed hug before opening the front door and slipping outside.

The door banged shut.

I was alone.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N That's the first chapter. I know it's short, the later ones will be longer. So what do you think? I'm sorry if Paige is a bit OOC. We don't get much background on her as Paige, so I'm taking liberties. I always imagined her to be a bit insane. **

**Also, I'm still working on the title, so if you have any suggestions, please leave them in a review. That said, please do review.**


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

I stood there for a whole five minutes, my eyes fixed on the door, almost expecting her to come rushing back, pulling me into her arms, apologizing. I was all alone. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt a tingling, notifying me that this was familiar. But from when?

_Snap out of it, Paige. _I told myself. _What does it matter? Go upstairs and do your homework. _Obeying myself, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and started up the stairs towards my room. I pulled open the door of my room and entered, unceremoniously dumping my backpack on the floor. I pulled the white sheet around my shoulders and spun in a circle, watching as the fabric fanned out around me.

Moving towards my window, I wasn't surprised to see him there. I smiled and waved, observing everything about him. He wore finely made clothes, all black, and had a dark scarf around his neck. He had a lot of scarfs like that. I faintly wondered why he always wore them. He had that same, small, miserable smile, not showing any teeth; occasionally it was interrupted when he bit his lower lip, as if deep in thought. His hands were pressed against the glass, as if trying to push it away. When he waved back, it was short, and his hand immediately returned to its resting place against the window.

I then moved my eyes to focus on the room he was standing in. There was a large white table and one chair. Resting on the table were scissors, threads, packs of sewing needles, ribbons, and stacks of fabric. The walls were covered with shelves, and those shelves were covered with hats. All different types: top hats, sun hats, ascot caps, berets, bowlers, and newsboy caps along with countless others.

Suddenly, an idea formed in my head and turning from the window and flinging open my closet, I located my 'flat cap', as my father had called it and set it onto my head. Rushing back to the window, I pushed it open so he could see me better. Grinning like a maniac, I pointed to the hat atop my head. That pulled a genuine smile out of him, and I could see he was laughing, smoothing back his hair with one hand. He ran to one of his shelves and pulled off a few hats. The first was a top hat, which he placed over his brown hair with all the flourish of a gentleman. He bowed to me, which caused me to clap and laugh in delight.

Next, the beret fell down onto his head. After thinking for a moment, he began to mime being trapped in a box. I smiled widely; I knew I must have looked crazy. But maybe… maybe I didn't care. He was just a tad bit crazy too. We were alike, and that fact made me smile.

The night passed in that fashion; we placed hats on our heads, miming the actions that went along with them, joking through the windows. I didn't eat dinner or even start on my homework. At 10:06, I heard the door shut from below. My eyes widened, and the stranger (he was more like a friend now) furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. I waved to him once more and mouthed, "I have to go." I regretted it, but I shut my window and ripped my eyes away from him, opening my bedroom door and heading down the stairs.

"Paige?" my dad's voice echoed up to me.

"Yeah?" I said, reaching the first floor.

He smiled at me. "Hi darling. How are you?" He pulled me into a one-armed hug, which caused my to stiffen up. He noticed and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," I said, walking into the kitchen and pulling the meal my mother had prepared for me out of the fridge. Popping it into the microwave, I sat down at a stool to wait for it to heat up. I heard my dad's footsteps clicking up the stairs.

I thought of my new friend, how he had played with me, joked with me. How he had smiled when I did. How he watched me; it used to frighten me. _But maybe it's just to protect me._ That thought had dawned on me just then. I rested my chin on my hand and sighed.

_I'll protect you, Grace,_ his voice whispered in my head. Closing my eyes, I found myself in a forest- with him. He looked different; his hair was longer and curlier, and he wore a long orange coat and other colorful, multi-patterned clothing underneath it. He was kneeling before me, his hands resting on my cheeks. He pulled me forward and planted a loving kiss on my forehead. _I'll never lose you. Don't worry._

I was snapped out of my daydream by the beeping of the microwave. I hopped down from the stool and walked towards the microwave. Taking my bowl of pasta, I sat back down at the stool and brought the warm sustenance to my mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, I thought of my encounter with the stranger.

_Maybe he really is scary… or dangerous. What if he wants to get you to trust him so then he can kidnap you and kill you? _My mind screamed at me. "It's not true," I told myself, not noticing I was speaking aloud. "He does care about, Paige, he would never ever hurt you."

I hadn't noticed my mother return until she was leaning against the doorway. "Boy troubles, sweetheart?" she asked, coming to sit beside me. I blushed. "Which one is it? Henry? The one with the book?"

"No," I mumbled. "I was just talking to myself."

"What about?" she pressed, flashing her shiny white teeth my way. Her breath smelled like mint, and she chomped on her Orbit gum, the sound of her chewing filling my ears.

"Nothing," I said, exasperated. "Can I just eat my dinner?"

"Fine," she said, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. "Goodnight." With that, she turned and left the room, flipping off the light as she left.

I was ensnared in the darkness. Finding myself once again alone, I let my head fall into my hands and tears land in my lap.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N Poor Paige. That ending made me sad. That sounds pathetic, considering I wrote it. The Jefferson scene made me smile. Oh well… I want to know what you think. Please review.**


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

I skipped down my front steps, my plastic bag full of Lucky Charms clutched in my hand and the strap of my backpack resting on my shoulder. I saw the school bus parked at the bend in the road and I started running to meet it. I passed his house, barely giving it a sideways glance. A flicker of movement in one of the windows caused me to stop abruptly, turning to face the house. I saw him wave, slowly, a barely noticeable motion. It seemed almost desperate to me, but I backed away anyways, my normal fear taking over. _I'm sorry, _I whispered into the wind; I knew it would never reach him, but it had to be said. I ran away as fast as I could towards the bus. His hand dropped limply at his side.

I climbed up into the yellow bus, my breathe ragged from running and my heart heavy with guilt. "Good morning, Paige," the bus driver said, less than cheerfully.

"Morning," I said. Henry said he was one of the seven dwarves. This one was 'Grumpy'. Here we called him Leroy, and he held many jobs besides driving the school bus. The bus began its route on the edge of town, so I was always the first on the bus. I took my normal seat in the front (Henry always sat beside me and it was best to stay away from the older children in the back who made fun of him because of his story book.) I pulled out my schoolbooks and began to start on my homework. I had five worksheets to complete and I knew I wouldn't be able to finish them all in the bus ride to the school. I spent the next few minutes writing down anything that made remote sense in the spaces provided.

"Hey Paige," Henry said, slipping into the seat next to me.

"Hi Henry," I said, barely looking up from the worksheet.

"You didn't do your homework?" he asked, looking over my shoulder.

"Forgot to," I said, and it wasn't exactly a lie.

"Do you want to copy mine?" Henry asked, pulling the papers out of his backpack.

"No, I couldn't," I replied, putting away my papers, even though I was not yet done with them. "Can we read from your book?"

"Sure," he said, a wide grin spreading across his face as he pulled the storybook out of his backpack. He flipped to a page with the evil queen on it. "This is the part where she rips out her father's heart. Do you want me to read it?"

I nodded, yawning slightly. He read the story for the rest of the bus ride. The yellow school bus rolled up to the school and Leroy shouted, "Go on kids!" I hopped up, grabbing my stuff, and followed Henry off of the bus.

We sat on a bench in the schoolyard as I stuffed Lucky Charms in my mouth. "Want some?" I asked, holding out the bag to him.

"No thanks," he replied. "It looks like you need them more than I do."

I laughed and nodded. "I guess so." He pulled out his storybook.

"The mayor is the Evil Queen," he said.

"Your mom?" I asked, glancing over his shoulder. The image had a likeness to the mayor.

"She's not my mom. Emma is," he said.

"Oh yeah," I said, looking at my hands. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged off my apology. "It's okay." The bell rang at that instant, and we gathered our things and headed into the school building.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"All right, I'll be coming around to collect your homework," Ms. Blanchard said, that ever-present smile still gracing her elegant features. I groaned, as I pulled my half-finished worksheets out of my blue homework folder. "Everything okay, Paige?" she asked, standing in front of my desk. I gave a small nod and handed her my worksheets. She looked over my (unimpressive) work with raised eyebrows. She nodded slightly, before going to gather the other students' papers.

"Are you okay?" Henry asked from his seat next to me.

I shrugged. "I bet I failed that homework. I'm going to have to meet with her after class… and maybe… maybe she'll even call my parents." Feeling hopeless, I buried my head in my hands.

"It's okay," he said, reaching out to take my hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. I looked up to meet his eye and offered him a small smile.

"I'm okay," I said. "Thank you." Ms. Blanchard walked to the front of the room and our hands instantly separated as we started the next lesson.

. . . . . . . . . . .

As we rushed out of the classroom for recess, it was no surprise that Ms. Blanchard called me to stay behind. Henry shot me a comforting look before I turned back around, heading to the front of the room. "Yes Ms. Blanchard?" I asked, trying to remain calm.

"Well, your homework is not complete or done satisfactorily," she said, shuffling through my papers nervously.

"I know. I'm sorry," I said. "I forgot about it last night and tried to rush through it this morning."

"You are normally such a good student, Paige, so this is why it comes as a surprise." I nodded slowly. "I'll let you re-do it tonight," she said, moving to her desk to get me fresh copies of the worksheets.

"Thank you, Ms. Blanchard," I said, smiling. I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

"It's no trouble," she said, handing the papers to me. "Now go on out to recess," she said, smiling at me.

"Yes ma'am," I said, rushing towards the door. Turning around to say one last thank you, I saw her standing at her desk, her hand fingering the edge of it, a melancholy look etched on her face. I quietly left the room and exited the school building, greeted by the mid-morning light.

I walked over to the bench where Henry sat. "How was it?" he asked.

"All right," I replied, but I couldn't shake the look on Ms. Blanchard's face from my mind. "What's Ms. Blanchard's curse?" I asked, sitting beside him, a look of urgency on my face.

"She has to live without true love," he said, flipping to a page that showed Snow sitting on the ground, holding onto a man with a red stain on his front. "This is her true love." He pointed to the man. "He died before the curse hit. True love's kiss failed. I don't know who he is here, or even if he is in Storybrooke."

"Even if he was here," I said slowly, "they wouldn't remember each other."

He nodded. "Exactly."

"Do you think anyone actually remembers who they were before the curse?" I asked. I wasn't sure if I really believed Henry, but I played along. It was fun.

"My mom does. And I think Mr. Gold does too," he said, furrowing his eyebrows in thought.

"Anyone else?"

"I think that's it," Henry told me, his book snapping shut as the bell rung.

. . . . . . . . . . .

I hopped off the bus, thanking Leroy and wishing him a good rest of his day. He grumbled in reply. Walking along the asphalt, I came to a stop in front of his house. There was no sign of him, but I could hear a kettle whistling inside. Not seeing any car in my driveway, I figured that my parents were at work. _Just as they always are…_ Shrugging, I climbed up his front steps.

_Just in time for tea._

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N So yeah, that's the chapter. I hope you all liked it. I included more Henry and Paige moments, and I might have some more in the next chapter.**

**Please review.**


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

I knocked on the door hesitantly, and then I rang the doorbell, thinking it would be more successful against the shrieking of the kettle. I set my backpack on the front porch. I heard his even steps towards the door, saw his face looking through a window; I could see the surprise in his eyes when they landed on me.

The doorknob turned, almost hesitantly, then it stopped, before swinging open; I jumped back at the sudden motion. He stood there, motionless. "Hello, sir," I said, nervously. "Can I come in?" He nodded, grabbing onto my hand and leading me inside. A tingle started in my spine and shot up to my brain. My eyes widened as the daydreams started.

_"I found you, papa," I said, peering around the base of the tree at him. _

_ He looked down at me, smiling. "That you did, my dear Grace," he said, taking my hand and helping me up the little hill, covered in tree roots. "Good girl."_

_ I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him into a hug. He put his arms around me, lowering his head to place a kiss atop my head. "It's time to go back," he said, pulling away from me. I took his hand and we walked back through the woods, back to our small cottage. Outside, was a majestic dark carriage, pulled by black horses and guarded by knights in black armor._

_ "The Queen!" I gasped, surprised that she would be here, of all places. "Do you know her?"_

_ "No," he said quickly. He knelt in front of me before making a quick glance back at the house. "I'm going to go inside and see what she wants," he said, turning back to me. "While I'm gone, I want you to stay hidden in the woods."_

_ "Like our game?" I asked._

_ "Yeah," he said, nodding, a small smile playing on his lips. "Just like our game." His eyes were lost in thought for a few moments as he stared off into the greenery behind me. Suddenly he snapped back to our world. "Can you do that, Grace?" I nodded. "I'll come find you when she's gone." He laid a loving kiss on my forehead, before standing up and walking towards our home. He turned back to me, smiling, and then he waved. I watched him disappear inside. I turned around and sprinted away into the forest._

"Do you live here alone?" I suddenly asked, snapping away from that other world, finding myself in the living room of his large house. He nodded. "Do you talk?" I asked, but I instantly clapped a hand over my mouth. "I'm sorry. That was so rude."

"It's fine," he said. And in his voice I could recognize that of the other man in my dreams, the one I called my papa. "Do you want some tea?" he asked, gesturing to the white teacups laid out on the table.

"That's why I came," I said, smiling. "I heard the kettle."

He nodded briskly, before disappearing into the kitchen. I heard clattering, but soon he returned, carrying a tray holding tea bags, the kettle, cream, and sugar. He poured some boiling water into my teacup and into his. I grabbed one of the tea bags and placed it into my cup.

I watched in a dreamy silence as the clear liquid took on swirls of rich amber, which soon overpowered it. "Also, I am curious about you," I said. Another nod. "I enjoyed talking to you last night," I said, not sure how else to phrase it. I dumped two heaping spoonfuls of sugar into my tea, and I saw him laughing from across the table. Looking up, I caught his eye, and I laughed with him. I poured in some cream, the handed the cup of cream to him.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"Are you shy?" I asked. "I don't really see you in Storybrooke."

He shrugged. "I keep more to myself. I don't think anyone really wants me in town." He stirred his tea, the spoon clattering around the rim. He removed the spoon, setting it down on the table, before taking a sip of it.

I did the same with my tea, sighing as the soothing beverage settled inside me. "I don't think that's true. I'm sure everyone would love to have you in town."

He shook his head. "Not a good idea," he said, not stating a reason.

I abandoned the subject, instead saying, "You have a beautiful home."

"Thank you," he said. " But it's not any good if you don't have someone to share it with." He looked into my eyes, conveying his pain.

_Without me? Without me? What if Henry's right about the curse? _I shook my head. "I see you make hats," I offered.

He nodded. "None of them work. Not one will take me back. Not one will make things right," he said, his eyes set ahead. He squeezed his teacup so tightly that it threatened to break.

"Sir?" I asked, standing up. "Are you okay?" I walked over to him and took the teacup out of his hand. "Are you okay?" I asked again, my eyes widening in fear. He bit down on his lip, deep in concentration, his eyes not seeing me, but something, and someplace, completely different.

"Go," he said. It was just above a whisper, but I could hear it. "I'm fine."

"No you're not," I said, moving to grasp his hand. "I'm not leaving you." I could feel tears forming in the corners of my eyes. _Tears? Over a stranger? _I ignored that voice inside me, saying to him, "Please, I won't leave you."

He immediately shot out of his seat, "Go," he shouted, pointing towards the door. The pain in his eyes told me that he wanted me to stay with him, more than anything else in the world. "You aren't supposed to be here! Please, I'm trying to do the right thing."

I nodded, tears spilling down my cheeks. I tasted the salty droplets in my mouth. I bolted for the door, wrenching it open and then slamming it closed. I grabbed my backpack and then ran away, towards my house, the tears blurring my vision. When I entered the front room of my home, I couldn't stop myself from collapsing on the ground, curling myself into a ball on the circular rug.

_Please, I'm trying to do the right thing. What does that mean? What is the right thing? Why can't I stay? _I didn't know if I was scared of him now, I doubted it. _Come on, Paige, _whispered another voice inside of me. _Do you believe in Henry's silly curse now? _I shrugged, the tears still gently staining my face. _Of course she does. And it's not silly. That man- that stranger, as you say- is her father, _replied another voice. "He's not my father," I said to myself. _Oh come on. You know it's true. _"It's not." _It is. He loves you more than the fools here do._ "That may be true," I started, "but they're my parents." _No. _

I sighed, picking myself up off the floor. "You can't change who your parents are," I said defiantly, to the empty house and those voices in my head.

_No… but the curse can. _

Shaking my head, I climbed up the steps to my bedroom. The blue walls suffocated me. Lying down on my bed, I looked up at the ceiling, feeling lost. I got up and walked to the window, he was there, gripping his scissors in his hand, ripping apart the hats, those beautiful hats. I placed my hand against the window as I filled with misery. That was the first time I ever saw him cry.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N This is the chapter. I hope you all liked it. Poor Jefferson. Poor Paige. Please review.**


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

_"What did you do to my papa?" I screamed. _

_ The Evil Queen simply laughed as I struggled against her soldiers. "Your father left you… he left you. Now he's dead."_

_ "No, no. It's not true. It can't be. He loves me. He would never leave," I cried._

_ "Be quiet, little brat. He's gone," she sneered, a smirk playing at her lips. I settled down, and the guards loosened their grip on my arms. I smiled softly… idiots._

_ I flung myself forward at the queen, imagining what I would do to her. I would rip her eyes out, bash in her skull. With a wave of her hand, I was immobilized. "How dare you. Just because your father left you, you don't have to take it out on me." With a vicious smile, she let me fall to the stone floor. "Guards, lock her away. Kill her if you like."_

_ I screamed, "No!" as I was dragged away. I was tossed into the dungeon and knocked out cold when I hit my head on the wall, plunging myself into darkness._

I awoke quickly, lying there in bed. "Papa," I could hear myself calling out, but I felt disconnected from everything, even from myself. When I could control myself again, I stood up, wrapping my white sheet around me. _My armor, _I thought, a small smile playing at my lips. The voices were gone for now, and it was just me.

I was nervous as I walked towards the window, worried I would see him destroying it, all of his hard work. Peering through the windowpane, I saw him holding the top hat, turning it over and over in his hands. Tears were still falling from his eyes, and he did nothing to wipe them away. How much I wanted to tell him things were all right, just like he did for me in my dreams.

Turning away from the window, I picked up the flat cap and climbed back into bed. Clutching it in my hands, I felt the tears fall once more.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Get up Paige," my dad said, shaking me out of my slumber.

"I'm up, I'm up," I mumbled, pushing him away from me.

"Breakfast will be ready soon," he said. "Get dressed."

I nodded sleepily. Once he left and closed the door behind him, I got up and went over to my window. Looking through it, I saw my friend lying on the floor, fast asleep, his scissors in his hands and the top hat lying a few inches away from his head. The sight of him was almost enough to make me cry again.

I sharply turned away from my window, angry with myself to have made him so upset. I quickly dressed in my dull school uniform and headed downstairs, dragging my backpack behind me. Once I reached the kitchen, I picked my brush up off the counter and ran it through my blond hair. My mother described my hair as being the color of honey.

My mother set my breakfast down on the counter: a piece of toast and a banana. I ate it quickly, and then I said to my parents, "Bye. I'm going now."

"But you'll be early for the bus," my mother said, running a delicate hand through her hair.

"I know. I'll be fine," I said. Shrugging, my parents hugged me, wishing me a nice day at school. I picked up my backpack and pulled on a hooded sweatshirt before sprinting out into the morning sun.

I look down at my wristwatch, which had the image of a white rabbit on the face of it. The hands read 5:47. I knew the bus would arrive at 6:30 to pick me up. I was honestly surprised that they had let me go, but really, I didn't care much about that at the moment. Climbing up my friend's steps, I tried the door. To my surprise it pushed easily open. _He must not have locked it after I left. _I cautiously stepped inside, gently shutting the door behind me. I climbed up the stairs, rooting around for the room he was in.

I found it and quietly stepped inside. His eyes were shut, and he seemed peaceful enough. Leaning over, I gently removed the scissors from his hands and set them on the table. I knelt beside him, taking the top hat in my hands. I looked at him for a few minutes, before taking his hand in my small one.

His eyes opened, his green eyes surrounded by a bloodshot rim; that was probably from lack of sleep and tears. "Why are you here?" he asked.

"I saw you… through my window. I'm so sorry," I told him.

He shook his head. "I can handle it on my own. I'm only hurting you by inviting you here."

"No," I murmured. "I saw you destroying your hats last night."

"None of them work. I was just making room for new ones," he said.

I drew my eyebrows together as a new thought came to me. "Is that your curse?" I asked, barely above a whisper.

His eyes widened and he was about to say something, but from below I heard the door open and slam shut. "Hide," he said.

"Where?"

"In the closet." I shot up and quietly hopped to the closet, opening it and gently closing it behind me. I pressed my ear against the door as I heard someone enter.

"Ah… Jefferson," the woman said. "And what happened to you?" I racked my brain, searching for the owner of that voice.

"Nothing of importance, Regina," he said, and I assumed he (I should now say Jefferson) was getting to his feet.

"And your hats," she scoffed, and I finally recognized the voice: the mayor, the Evil Queen. "You've made quite a mess, haven't you?"

"I'm no child, Regina," Jefferson responded. "I can take care of myself…. Besides, none of them work."

"What about this one?" the mayor asked, and I imagined her picking up the top hat, gesturing to it.

"I like that one," he said through gritted teeth. "That's why I kept it."

"How's your daughter been?"

"She's at school," Jefferson replied.

"And the whole reason for these hats is to get your daughter back?" Regina asked.

"Yes. Of course. Unless there's any other way for her to remember me," he said, and I could tell he was baiting her.

"Don't play games, Hatter," she sneered. "You know very well about Emma Swan."

He laughed, almost a twisted laugh. "And so do you. That's why you're scared."

"I am _not _scared. But you should be," she said viciously.

"And why is that?" he asked.

"Because if you say anything like that again, I'll make sure you never see your precious Grace again." Silence. "I see then." She laughed. I heard her leaving, climbing down the stairs, the front door opening and shutting behind her.

I waited in that closet, for a few long minutes. Finally, I pushed the door open and stepped into the workroom. My friend was standing in the center of the room, his eyes on the floor, trained on the upturned top hat on the floor. "Jefferson?" I asked, and his eyes snapped up to meet mine. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said, sending a smile my way.

"Don't worry," I said, going to him and hugging him. "Don't listen to a thing she says."

His arms wrapped around me. "Do you know who Grace is?" he asked.

I debated what to say. "No," I lied. Truthfully, I was almost sure it was me.

"All right. Do you want some biscuits and tea before you head off for school?" he asked, pulling away to look down on me.

I nodded. "Yes please." I followed him downstairs and sat down on the sofa in the living room while he went to prepare the tea and biscuits. I sat in silence, listening to Jefferson in the kitchen. Above the clattering and the whistling of the kettle, I could make out the melody of a lullaby, a familiar one. I knew I couldn't have known it from my parents; they never sang to me. Vowing to think about it later, I began humming the same song.

Jefferson emerged from the kitchen, bearing a tray much like the one from before, except this one also held a plate of biscuits. He fixed my tea for me- with extra sugar- and then handed the white teacup to me, before making his own. "I'm sorry about yesterday," he said. "I shouldn't have yelled."

"It's all right. You were just trying to do the right thing." What the right thing was, I had no idea.

He shrugged. "I'm sorry you had to hear Regina."

"It's all right," I said. "Why did she come here?"

"She's an old friend. She likes to drop in from time to time," he explained.

"She doesn't seem like much of a friend," I replied.

"True." Silence prevailed for a few moments, before Jefferson asked, "Would you like a biscuit?"

I nodded and took one, placing it in my mouth. It was warm and soft, and the taste instantly made me feel at home. "It's really good," I said, and he smiled. "Do you make them?"

"Yeah, when I have time."

"My mother never makes things from scratch," I said bitterly. "But if she did, it would be horrible." I laughed.

"Have you met Emma?" he asked.

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "She's Henry's mom."

"I know. I've watched them."

"Oh," I said, laughing slightly.

"That must have sounded weird, right?" Jefferson asked, looking nervous.

"It's all right, I'm weird too. It's not a bad thing."

He shrugged, and then he asked, "Can I see your watch?" I nodded, holding out my wrist to him. Jefferson was fascinated by it, moving his thumb over the white rabbit. He looked up at me. "A white rabbit." I nodded slowly. Reading the clock, he said, "6:45."

"6:45?" I asked, shooting up out of my seat. "I missed the bus! I'm going to be late! I'll have to walk."

Jefferson stood up. "You are not walking to school. I'll drive you."

"You have a car?" I asked.

He looked at me, somewhat concerned. "Duh," he said, and fell into bouts of laughter. I joined in as well.

Slowly, our laughter died down and I slung my backpack over my shoulder before following Jefferson down to the garage. I got into the passenger seat of the small car and he got in on the driver side. Turning on the engine, he backed the car out of the garage and we took to the road.

We easily swerved around the bends and I asked, "Aren't you going a bit fast?"

He shrugged, not taking his eyes off the road. "I can't let you be late." I was silent for the rest of the car ride.

After a few minutes, we pulled up in front of the schoolyard, where all the students were congregating before classes started. Jefferson hopped out of the car and then came around to my side, helping me gather my things as I stepped down onto the asphalt. We got up onto the sidewalk and he set my backpack down on the ground before he kneeled down in front of me.

I let out a deep breath as he pulled me into a hug. "Thanks for getting me here on time," I whispered.

"No problem Paige," he said. Pulling away from me, he said, "Have a great day at school."

"Thanks," I said as he stood up and handed me my backpack. Before I skipped off the join Henry, Jefferson put my hood up over my head.

"It's cold out," he told.

"Thank you. Bye," I said, smiling and waving. He waved back, and then I turned and left.

I went over the bench to join Henry. Before I sat down, I watched as Jefferson's car sped out of the parking lot. "Who was that?" Henry asked, letting me know that he had seen the whole exchange.

I sat down, a bright smile on my face. "A friend."

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N So that's the chapter. I thought it was so sweet. But what do you think? I promise to include more Henry and Paige in the next chapter. Also, chapter four was just one word longer than chapter three. Pretty intense, eh? The chapters keep on getting longer and longer. This one's around 2,000 words.**

** Please review.**


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"Why did he bring you to school?" Henry asked, not yet finished with his interrogation.

"I missed the bus," I replied.

"Where did you meet him?"

"He's my neighbor," I told him, slightly irritated.

"What's-" Henry began, but I cut him off.

"What does it matter?" I asked.

Henry fell quiet for a few seconds, before saying, "I want to make sure he's not dangerous. I don't want anyone to hurt you, Paige."

I was silent, ashamed that I had yelled at him. "Sorry I snapped at you, Henry."

"It's all right," he said.

"It's not," I said. "Please forgive me."

"Of course," he said, smiling. He turned his head down, looking at the pages of his book. There was one question pricking at the back of my mind. I was just about to voice it when I was suddenly interrupted.

"Hey kid." I looked up and saw Emma Swan, her hands in the pockets of her blue jeans and her red leather jacket zipped up against the cold wind. Her long blonde hair was tucked behind her ears.

"Hey Emma," Henry said, scooting over to make room for her on the bench. "This is Paige," he said, gesturing to me.

"Hi Paige," the blond woman said, stretching out her hand for me to shake.

"Hello Sheriff Swan," I said, taking her hand.

"Call me Emma," she said, smiling. I smiled back, and nodded. "How's Operation Cobra?" she asked Henry.

"I'm working on finding out who Paige is," he said. Emma nodded.

"Henry. I have a question," I said.

"What?" he asked.

"Do you have any stories about the Mad Hatter in your book?" I inquired, and I felt my stomach clench as I said the name.

"I can check," he said, rapidly flipping through the pages; so quickly that Emma warned him not the tear them. "Here," he said, landing on the beginning of a story. "Page 106."

I took the book from him. "Can I keep this for tonight?" I asked, hoping beyond hope that he would say yes.

"Uh, sure," he said, faintly smiling.

"Thank you," I said, grinning as I slipped the book into my backpack. Just then, the bell rang, signaling it was time for class to start.

Henry, Emma, and I stood up. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and waited for Henry. "See you," Emma said to Henry, pulling him into a hug. "Nice to meet you, Paige," she said as she started to walk away.

The two of us waved to her, calling out, "Bye, Emma!" We walked towards the school building. "She's nice," I said, feeling somewhat jealous that Henry had a mother like that. "My parents don't really like me that much."

"That's not true, Paige," he said, slipping his hand into mine. I felt a smile cross my face.

"Thank you, Henry," I whispered. Our fingers immediately disentangled as we stepped into the loud classroom.

. . . . . . . . . . .

The bus stopped at the bend in the road. "Have a nice day, Mr. Leroy," I said, descending the steps. He grunted in reply. Letting out a sigh, I walked up the road and could hear the doors closing and the bus pulling away. I passed Mr. Jefferson's house, not exactly wanting to bother him. _I wondered if I would be bothering. Maybe he wants to see me. _Shrugging away those thoughts, I climbed up the steps of my house and entered, not at all surprised to find it empty.

I trudged up the steps to my room and set my backpack down on the floor. Walking to the window, I saw him making a hat, furiously cutting fabric. When he got up to take a short break, his eyes locked on mine. I waved, then, getting an idea, I began to breathe on the window, fogging it over. Giving my best attempt at writing backwards so that Jefferson could read it, I wrote, "Can I come over? My parents aren't home."

He squinted his eyes to read it. Finally making out the words, he nodded. Then he headed out of the room, and I assumed it was to make tea. I grabbed my backpack and rushed downstairs and outside. Running over to his house, I knocked on the door.

I waited there for a few seconds, one hand neatly folded over the other, before he answered. "Hi, Paige," Jefferson said, moving out of the way to allow me into his house.

"Hello, Jefferson," I greeted, smiling. "Or do you want me to call you Mr. Jefferson?"

He shrugged, and told me, "You can just call me Jefferson."

I nodded, and then stepped into the living room. "Are you making tea?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just started boiling the water."

"Can I help?"

"Of course," he said, and I followed him into the kitchen. "Can you get the tea bags out of that cabinet?" he asked, pointed to one above the coffee maker in the corner of the room.

I nodded, and grabbed the box of tea bags. "Do you even drink coffee?" I asked him.

"No… only tea," he replied, as the kettle started to whistle. He turned off the stove and grabbed the kettle. I laid out the white teacups and the cream and sugar. Jefferson made my tea for me, and then set to fixing his.

"I like tea," I told him. "Coffee's too bitter."

"My thoughts exactly," he said, looking up at me with a smile. We sat in silence for a few moments, sipping our tea, until Jefferson went to pour some more hot water into his cup.

"I have something to show you." I said, abruptly, remembering that I head set my bag on the floor in the living room. I set down my teacup and raced out of the kitchen, digging through my backpack until I found Henry's storybook. "It's Henry's book," I explained. "It has stories about everyone in Storybrooke." I flipped to page 106 and handed it to him.

"Do you want me to read it out loud?" he asked, ripping his eyes away from the page.

"Sure," I said, settling down on the sofa as he began to read.

"Once upon a time, in the Enchanted Forest, there lived a father and his daughter. They were a poor family, though the father, who was a man of magic, used to do small favors for the Evil Queen in exchange for a hefty sum. However, he abandoned that life after the loss of his wife in order to secure a safer future for his daughter, Grace. One day, while the two were returning to their cottage after a day of playing hide-and-seek and gathering mushrooms, they saw the Queen's carriage outside of their home. The father kneeled down in front of Grace, instructing her to hide in the woods until he came to get her. She protested, saying it might not be safe for him, but those worries were ignored when her father rose up and entered the cottage. Grace, after watching him go, ran off into the forest. Inside the cottage, the Queen was asking for a favor. 'Jefferson,' she said, looking at him sharply, 'I need to go to Wonderland.' He interjected her, 'No, I can't.' However, she continued to explain her case, 'The Red Queen has stolen something very important to me. I want to get it back.' Their argument continued on, but Jefferson finally refused, and the Queen left in a huff."

"The next day, Grace and Jefferson went to the market. The young girl ran up to the toy cart and immediately began admiring a stuffed white rabbit toy. 'Papa, can I have it?' He looked up at the owner of the cart, an old woman, and asked, 'How much for the rabbit?' She replied, 'One silver coin.' He offered all of his money, but the woman still refused. The two moved onto another cart. It turned out that the old woman was the Evil Queen in disguise. Once the two had returned home, they sat down to a tea party. Jefferson presented his daughter with a rabbit that he had made for her, and then he told her that he had to go away and that she would be staying with the neighbors for a few days. Grace knew that this had something to do with the Queen's visit, but knew that she couldn't change his mind. He kissed her on the forehead and pulled her hood up over her head, before she ran off to meet the neighbors."

"Jefferson moved over to a box in the front of their small cottage. Out of it, he pulled a container. Then he went to the Queen's castle. Once there, he opened up the box and pulled out a hat. He laid the hat upside down on the ground, and it began to spin, opening up a portal, that the two jumped through. They found themselves in a room full of doors to different worlds. They walked over to a mirror, where Jefferson reminded the Queen that they had to stick together, for only two could go back through the portal, no more, no less. They walked into Wonderland, where they were greeted by a caterpillar that blew smoke in their faces. They walked to the entrance of a maze, where Jefferson threw a stick at the hedges. They swallowed it up and he warned the Queen to stay away from the walls. The Queen burned through the maze, and they walked towards a mausoleum. After using the magic to open the doors, the Queen went inside and grabbed a box. They headed back towards the mirror, but were chased by the guards of the Queen of Hearts. After pushing them into the hedges or killing them with magic, they reached the entrance and the Queen opened up the box and placed a piece of a mushroom into it. A mist appeared over the box, and once it faded, the Queen's father appeared. Jefferson widened his eyes, saying, 'You knew only two could go through the hat, right? I have to get back to my daughter, my Grace. I promised I would be home for tea.' The Queen whirled around and cried, "A promise a promise which you have now broken. If you loved your daughter, you never would have left her.' Grabbing her father's hand, they stepped through the mirror, stranding Jefferson in Wonderland. He screamed 'No!' as they disappeared from sight. The Knave and the guards found him, staring at the closed portal. 'Take him to Queen,' the Knave said, and the guards dragged Jefferson away."

Jefferson took a deep breath and prepared to continue the story, but there was a loud, harsh knock on the door. I jumped out of my seat, saying, "I'll get it!"

I walked out of the living room into the front room, startled as another knock rattled the door. "Coming," I mumbled as I unbolted the door and pulled it open.

Before I knew it, the gun was pointing in my face and I faintly heard Jefferson screaming "No!" from the other room.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N That was pretty intense. Okay, I have my excuses lined up for why I didn't update so quickly. Here they are:**

**There was a fire down the street to I went to go gawk at that.**

**I had to watch Once Upon A Time last night and after that I was too tired to write.**

**There's a reason why I don't write fairy tales, okay. That thing took me forever, and it's not even that long.**

**There was a whole investigation on how stickers keep getting on my cats. Just because they are my stickers, doesn't mean I'm the culprit.**

**I had a weird realization yesterday: I have eleven pets. I usually present them separately, saying, "I have eight cats and three dogs." Weird, right?**

**Okay, most of those excuses are stupid; so don't take any of them into account, except for maybe the first two.**

**Please review.**


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

_Before I knew it, the gun was pointing in my face and I faintly heard Jefferson screaming "No!" from the other room._

. . . . . . . . . . .

I immediately had my hands up, my eyes focused on the barrel of the gun instead of its owner as I backed away. "You have the right to remain silent," the woman said, and I looked up to see her blonde hair just as she turned away from me and towards Jefferson. Emma Swan. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense." Jefferson seemed to be just as bewildered as I was, and before I knew it, she was snapping the handcuffs around his wrists and leading him out the door.

I ran after her, placing my hand on her shoulder to stop her. "What?" she asked, impatiently, and I saw Jefferson craning his neck to look at me too.

"You can't do this," I pleaded. "What did he do wrong?"

She bit her lip for a moment, before beckoning me to come along. I followed. She helped Jefferson get into the back of the car, advising him to watch his head, and then let me into the passenger's seat. She got into the driver's seat and didn't speak until we were back on the road to Main Street. "Your parents are waiting for you at the station. I can explain there." The she was silent again, her eyes focused on the road. I was quiet too, staring down at my hands, but occasionally I glanced back at Jefferson who was staring out the window.

Once we pulled into town, I figured it had been quite a while since the sheriff's car had come by with anyone in it. People were standing on the sidewalks, watching as we passed; storeowners were peering through their windows. Looking into the pawnshop, I saw Mr. Gold standing at the window, slowly shaking his head. Jefferson was no longer looking out the window; now he stared at his hands with his head down, not at all anxious to meet the eyes of those who had come to stare.

We pulled into the parking lot of the police station and Emma got out and helped Jefferson out of the back seat. I got out as well and followed them into the station, painfully aware of every step I took. We went into the room, which I presumed to be Emma's office; there were two desks, a cell, and chairs lining the walls. My parents jumped out of their seats, shouting my name with relief and joy in their voices, before engulfing me in a hug. I stiffened at their touch and tried to wriggle free. When they finally let me go, I looked up at their faces; my mother had been crying and her mascara and eyeliner had run, leaving an ugly ring around her eyes; my father looked relieved and overjoyed to have me back. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.

Emma put Jefferson in the cell and then came towards us, leaning against her desk as she began to speak. "Your parents came home and saw you were gone. They got worried and called me. I told them to come down here, and that once I found you, I would bring you down here to meet your parents. I went up-" The door slamming against the wall as it opened cut Emma's story short and caused us all to snap our heads in the direction of the door. From in his cell, Jefferson looked up to view the newcomer. It was Regina, her fists clenched and her eyes blazing.

"What is the meaning of this?" she cried, starting towards Emma with her finger pointed at Jefferson. "What could he possibly have done wrong?"

"Kidnapping this little girl, as her parents said," Emma replied pointing to me.

Regina's head fell into her hands. "No. He would not do that. You can't keep him here, Sheriff Swan."

"And why not?" Emma said, challenging her.

"He did nothing wrong. You can't just lock him up for no reason," Regina told her.

"It's not like I just go around arresting anyone I see!" Emma cried, throwing her hands in the air in aggravation. "I went out to the house, found it empty, looked in his window, and there she was."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Hey you," she said, pointing at me. "What happened? Did he kidnap you?"

I was about to respond, but Emma cut in, "Don't answer that."

From the cell, Jefferson said, "Regina, don't bring her into it."

As if just remembering that Jefferson was there, Emma asked, "Why does it matter to you that he gets out?"

The mayor thought for a moment, biting her lip, before saying, "He's an old friend."

Emma crossed her arms slowly. "Okay," she said. "Is it okay if I talk to Paige for a few minutes?" The question was directed to my parents, who answered in the affirmative. Leading me into another room, she told me to sit. "What happened?"

"Jefferson's my father," I blurted out.

Emma looked bewildered, pulling her eyebrows together. "Excuse me?"

"He's my dad," I restated. "In Henry's book, he's the Mad Hatter and I'm his daughter. Regina stranded him in Wonderland. He's my dad."

Emma let out a sharp breath, before leaning over me, gripping my shoulders with her strong hands. "They're just stories," she said, her eyes boring into mine. "They're stories; they're not true. There is no curse."

"Yes there is," I protested. "I read the story."

"_Story_," she repeated, emphasizing the word. "Just because someone wrote it down doesn't make it true. If you say a lie, it's not true. That fact doesn't change if you write it down." I thought about her words, and for a moment it seemed to make sense. Sighing, she removed her hands and sat down next to me. "Okay, I don't think he would kidnap you, but I'm just doing my job. He'll have a trial, and you'll have to testify. Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah," I said, my head bobbing up and down.

"Good," she said, patting my knee. We left the room, and I was reluctantly embraced by my parents.

"Honey," my mother said, "are you ready to go home?" I shrugged, and my eyes locked on Jefferson's. I offered a supportive smile. "Don't worry about that evil man; justice will be served," she told me, taking my head in her hands and turning it back towards her. My fists clenched and I could hear the grinding of my teeth echoing through my head.

"He is not evil," I said, trying to keep my anger in check.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," my dad said, ruffling my hair. "He won't hurt you again." _Idiots. Idiots. Idiots. _

"Let's just go," I said, starting towards the door. I waved to Jefferson before I exited, and how I longed to see the looks on my parents' faces.

I impatiently waited at the car while my parents were still inside the police station. When they finally came out and unlocked the doors, my mother cried, "Sorry, dearest. We were just speaking with Sheriff Swan."

I honestly didn't care one bit, so I just silently slid into the back seat. We drove in silence, until we reached the deserted road leading back to our house. My father broke the silence by saying, "Are you excited for the court case, when you can sentence him?"

"No," I said quietly. The car abruptly stopped and all of us jerked forward before falling back against our seats.

"What do you mean?" my father asked, his nervous eyes reflected in the mirror.

"I mean I'm going to tell the truth. He didn't kidnap me."

My mother, not able to keep silent any longer, broke in, "You better say he kidnapped you."

Feeling bold, I raised my eyebrows and asked, "Or what?"

"Or… or…" she paused, searching for an answer. "Or we send you to a boarding school."

My jaw dropped. My mother smirked. "Thought so."

The car rolled on.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N Here's the chapter. It's a bit shorter than all the others. I said I would update later tonight, but I was tired, so I told myself I would do it early tomorrow morning because I was tired. I forced myself to write this. I'm still tired. But yeah.**

**Some questions to get you thinking:**

**Why does Regina want Jefferson to stay out of jail, when last chapter she was threatening him?**

**What will Paige choose?**

**Those are all the questions I have. Also, this is obviously straying off the storyline of the show. I wonder what I'll do next. Maybe I'll have Mr. Gold's shop be full of cats. I'm such a rebel.**

**Also, I'm not a cop. The police have been to my house before, but not to arrest people, so I don't know what they say. I just found it on .**

**Also, I realized that I kind of just killed off Graham.**

**Anyways, please review.**


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Once we were inside the house, I ran up the stairs to my bedroom, ignoring my parents' requests for me to come back. I rushed into my room, closing and locking the door behind me. I stood there, my back against the door, as the tears fell down my face. Eventually, I slid to the floor, and leaned against the door, doing anything to keep them out, fortifying the door in any way possible. I saw my white sheet lying in a corner of the room and pulled it towards me as I began to sob.

_I'm defeated. They win. I'll have to lie. _I wiped my eyes on the sheet before wrapping it around my shoulders. _What does it even matter to them what I say? _I wondered, and my eyes shot open. _Why do they even care? Good question, Paige… _

I tried to silence my tears, swallowing them down. I was ashamed at myself for crying so much; I was eleven years old. But then the fact set in, _they had threatened me_. It seemed so unreal, so unlike them. Before, I had always been content with my family life always thought they loved me. But since Emma had arrived, before the change and the dreams had taken their hold, their affection seemed forced. And now they were threatening me, doing anything to keep me in their grasp.

I thought back to what Emma said: _Just because someone wrote it down doesn't make it true. If you say a lie, it's not true. That fact doesn't change if you write it down. _It made sense, no matter how much I wanted to believe that I had a real father out there who loved me, maybe it wasn't true. Maybe I was stuck here.

Maybe that was my curse. _There's no curse, _said a voice inside me, and it sounded startlingly like Emma Swan. _It's not true. It's just a story. _Another voice cut in, _a true one. _

My head fell into my hands. _Maybe I'm just crazy. _I got up off the ground and decided to start on my homework. My backpack was lying sideways on the ground where I had left it, before I went to Jefferson's house. I pulled out my binder and a pencil and started my worksheets.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Honey!" my mother's sickly sweet voice called up. "Dinner time!"

"Coming," I cried, heaving myself off of the bed and started down the stairs. I walked into the kitchen, where I found my father setting the table and my mother taking various pots off the stove. "Hi," I said quietly, and they immediately looked up at me.

"Hi, Paige," my mother said, almost distastefully, as she moved around the table, spooning food onto the plates. Rolling my eyes, I went to take a seat at the table, and my parents sat down next to me. "How was school today?" she asked, as if it had just been a normal day.

"Fine," I replied, deciding to play along.

"That's good," my father replied. "Do you have a lot of homework?"

"Finished it all," I mumbled, as I slowly picked at my salad.

My mother smiled, showing her bright pink gums. "That's wonderful! Would you like to watch a movie later?" She was forcing herself to be nice; her mouth was probably sore from smiling too much. I shook my head, my eyes wandering over the fresh green lettuce drenched in dressing.

"Why not?" my father asked; his grin was sarcastic. "It would be a great chance to spend time as a family." That word: _family_. I was beginning to hate it. That word didn't describe us at all. I made a mental note to look up the word _family _in the dictionary later.

"I'm tired," I said, yawning for emphasis.

"All right, young lady," my mother said. "You can go to bed right after dinner."

I shrugged and replied, "Okay."

After our dinner, I trudged back up the stairs and pulled on my pajamas before falling back into my unmade bed. The flat cap was still there from the night before and I pulled it up to my cheek before falling into slumber.

It seemed that as soon as my eyes closed the dream started.

. . . . . . . . . . .

_"Take him to the Queen," the Knave said, and the guards dragged Jefferson towards the castle. _

_His eyes were dead as he walked before the Queen, her face masked by a red veil. A speaking tube ran from her mouth to the Knave's ear as she whispered orders to him. "Is it true that you helped to steal from the Queen of Hearts?" he asked._

"_Yes. The Queen-" Jefferson was interrupted by the noises of outrage from the masked court members._

"_That woman's name is Regina!" The Knave thundered, and Jefferson immediately whispered his apologies._

"_Anyways, Regina made me come here to help her get her father back. Only two could go back through the portal, so she left me here."_

"_How exactly did you come to Wonderland?" the Knave asked._

"_I can't tell you," he replied, unsure if it would be wise to tell about the hat. He heard the Queen whisper through her tube her infamously fatal phrase: Off with his head._

_The executioner stepped forward and pulled his ax back, while Jefferson watched in horror and disbelief. The ax came flying forward and his eyes clenched shut; he only felt a numbing sensation as his body hit the floor. Opening his eyes, he was shocked that he was not dead. "I'm alive!" he cried in disbelief, his eyes darting around frantically._

"_I will ask again: How did you get into Wonderland?"_

"_The hat! I used my hat. It opened up a portal," he spluttered. "Can I go back now? I have a daughter, my Grace, she'll be wondering where I was."_

"_Well, if all you need is a hat, it can't be too difficult to make another."_

_Jefferson's face fell. "But, but, without magic it won't work. I can't get it to work."_

"_Then that is your task," the Knave said, smiling maliciously. "Get it to work."_

. . . . . . . . . . .

I awoke then to find my room flooded with moonlight. My only question was: What happened to make the Mad Hatter mad?

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N That's the chapter. She's getting bits and pieces of the story. Expect slower updates because of school. Goodnight.**

**Please review.**


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

The next morning I woke up early and asked my parents to drop me off at school. They obliged, as they had an early meeting. They let me off at the deserted schoolyard, and once their car was out of sight, I ran towards the police station, hoping that Emma Swan was there.

I pushed open the door and stepped inside. All was quiet, except for the shuffling of papers coming from her office. I went into the room, and Emma looked up at me. "Hi," she whispered.

"Hello," I said, glancing over at the cell. Jefferson was leaning against the wall, his feet propped up on his cot. His eyes looked glassy and bloodshot, and I doubted he had gotten much sleep the night before.

"Do your parents know you're here?" she asked.

"Yes," I quickly lied.

She narrowed her eyes. "I know you're lying."

"Please, Emma," I begged. "I have to talk with him. Please?"

Emma let out a sigh. "Fine, but make it quick. School will start soon."

I nodded and whispered a breathless, "thank you," before walking over to the cell in the corner of the room. I pulled a stool over and sat down on it. "Hi, Jefferson," I said, and his eyes moved away from cell wall and towards me.

"Paige," he replied, nodding. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," I said, smiling as I reached through the bars to grasp his hand. "But that doesn't matter much. How have you been?"

He shrugged. "Okay."

"That's not true," I mumbled, feeling very much like a mother. "You haven't been sleeping well, have you?" He shook his head, and I could tell he was cracking under the exhaustion. "You should try to get some sleep. You look tired. And don't worry, everything will be fine." He nodded as his eyes slowly slid shut and his grip on my hand relaxed. "Goodnight," I whispered.

I stood up from my stool and turned to face Emma. She mouthed the word "thanks", careful not to wake Jefferson up.

"I'll be back after school," I said, before heading out the door and going back to the schoolyard.

Henry was there when I arrived, sitting on the bench as usual. "Do you have my book?" he asked.

My eyes widened as I remembered. "I'm so sorry! I must have left it at Jefferson's house."

"Jefferson?" Henry asked, furrowing eyebrows, but then his eyes lit up in recognition. "Jefferson, the one who picked you up? Who was arrested yesterday?"

I nodded. "But he didn't do it, Henry. I swear."

"I believe you."

"I'm going back to see him after school," I said. "Do you want to go with me?"

"Sure," Henry replied. "Do you know he was before the curse?"

I debated whether or not to tell him, and I decided to. "I think he's the Mad Hatter. And I'm his daughter."

A grin spread across Henry's face. "You found out! You believe!"

"Yes," I told him, and I couldn't help but smile too. "I don't know how his story ends, but I've gotten snatches of it in dreams."

"Dreams? You've had dreams?"

"Yes," I said, trying to recount all of them. "I've had some where I'm with Jefferson in a forest and we live in a little house. I've had one where the Evil Queen visited us and my papa had to leave. I had a dream where the Queen of Hearts cut off Jefferson's head."

Henry pulled his eyebrows together, contemplating for a minute, before asking, "And when exactly did these dreams start?"

"When Emma got here. When the clock ticked," I answered quickly.

We sat there for a few minutes, smiling at each other, knowing what this meant. "What are you so smiley about?" I looked up and saw Ms. Blanchard, her elegant fingers curled around her coffee mug. A striped scarf was thrown around her neck and her beige beret was perched atop her short black hair.

"I figured out who Paige is! She's the Mad Hatter's daughter!" Henry cried, hopping off his seat on the bench.

"Oh… Henry…" she said, her voice sounding sad and her eyes looking conflicted. Her eyes flitted over to me, looking for support.

"What?" he asked, the smile on his face slipping away.

"I'm not feeling very well," she said quickly, as she turned away and rushed towards the school building.

"What did I do wrong?" Henry asked, looking over at me.

"Nothing, Henry," I said, slipping my hand into his. "She's just not ready to believe in the curse yet. That's all it is." He didn't look convinced, so I gave his hand a squeeze and sent a reassuring smile his way.

"When will she believe?" Henry inquired, the question directed to no one in particular. His eyes roamed the cloudy sky with that lost, imaginative look. "When will they all believe?"

"I hope soon," I whispered, my thumb absentmindedly running over his cold skin. "I hope the curse will soon be broken. I want to go home."

. . . . . . . . . . .

Henry and I walked hurriedly walked towards the police station, anxious to get out of the chilly winds of November. "Do you think he knows who he really is?"

"I'm sure of it," I told Henry, referring to Jefferson. We reached the station and opened the door as the warm air pulled us in.

"Who is it?" Emma called from her office as she walked towards the main room. "Henry? Paige? What are you goys doing here?"

"I'm here to see Jefferson and I invited Henry to come along," I explained.

"It's also for Operation Cobra. He's the Mad Hatter," Henry added.

Emma hid her disbelief behind a small smile. "Come on in. He woke up a few minutes ago, so he'll still be tired." We followed her into the office and saw Jefferson lying on the cot in his cell, his hands folded behind his head.

"Jefferson!" I cried, running to the cell. I pressed my face against it, smiling wildly. Henry came to stand beside me.

"Paige," he said, sitting up and returning his insane grin. "Who's this?" he asked, gesturing to Henry.

"My friend. His name's Henry," I said. "This is Jefferson." The two shook hands.

"So you're Regina's Henry? She bragged about you an awful lot."

"Yeah. I'm Emma's son," he replied.

"Don't let Regina hear that," Emma said from behind us, and Jefferson laughed. "I'm serious," she said pointedly, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

"How are you?" I asked Jefferson.

"All right," he said, stretching. "How are things for you? Do you have a lot of homework?"

"Kind of," I said, while Henry went to stand by Emma. "Am I your daughter?" I blurted out.

"What?" he asked, his eyes serious.

"I mean before the curse. Am I your daughter? Am I Grace?" I asked, my breath catching in my throat as I waited for an answer.

Jefferson bit his lip, before saying, "Yes. You're my Grace."

"What's your curse? You're different than everyone else. You remember."

"My curse is remembering our life together, but you didn't. I had to watch you everyday for twenty-eight years, and you didn't know who I was." Tears sprang to his eyes, as he reached out and took my hands in his. "You found me," he choked out, before a sob entered the room.

Emma rushed over to the bars. "What's wrong?" Emma asked Jefferson. When he didn't reply, she looked at me questioningly.

"It's okay," I said, but I saw the relief and the pain mingling on Jefferson's face as the tears streaked down, and suddenly I wasn't so sure.

"No, it's not," she said. She rushed to grab her keys off her desk and opened the cell door up, going in to check to see if he was okay. I backed away from the cell and went to stand by Henry near Emma's desk.

Emma shook Jefferson and did everything she could to snap him out of it. "Paige, do you want to try?"

I nodded. "Could you guys step out for a moment?" I asked Henry and Emma as I walked into the cell. They nodded and left the room. I waited until the door clicked shut to speak. "Jefferson," I said, sitting beside him. "I've never been happier, or more confused, in all my life. I love you more than anyone in the world, even more than my so called parents." The only response was the sound of sniffling as he wiped his eyes. "Until the curse is lifted, we're going to have to stay separated, but I'll do anything to make Emma believe so she can save us all." I was quiet for a moment before asking, "Can I have a hug?"

Jefferson nodded and I was pulled into a tight hug. "I love you, Grace."

I was home.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N That's the chapter. Do you think I should start writing from other points of view? I think I probably will. Also, I love you guys so much. 30 reviews! That's more than I've ever had. Ever. Thank you all so much!**

**Please review.**


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Sighing, I climbed the steps to my front door and knocked. Emma had driven me home, and her car was waiting in my driveway, the purr of the engine interrupting the serenity of the forest, in case my parents weren't home. I was about to knock again when the door suddenly swung open and my mother's furious face appeared. "Get in here," she hissed, yanking me by arm. She waved to Emma before closing the door sharply. "Where were you?"

"With Henry," I said. "Why do you care anyways?" I tossed the question over my shoulder as I started towards the kitchen.

"Because you're my daughter," she said, and I scoffed. "How'd you get it into your mind to run away, anyways?"

I turned around. "I didn't run away. I was in town."

She continued, ignoring me. "It's that Henry, isn't it? He's a bad example for you." My mother paused for a moment, fingering her chin as she contemplated something. "I've got it! You're punished for a week, and you can't talk to Henry at all outside of school."

I walked towards her, outraged. "You can't do that. Henry's one of the greatest people I've ever met, and nothing you do will stop me from talking to him!"

"Go to your room," she said, quietly, her long finger pointing to the stairs. "Now!" my mother shrieked. I ran up the stairs and below I could hear a pot hitting the floor and a glass shattering against the wall.

I slammed my bedroom door and locked it before sliding to the floor.

. . . . . . . . . . .

That night I had no dreams. Just myself, falling through emptiness. Occasionally I would pass by something. A giant piano, a flowerpot, a hat, a book. I would try to latch on, but I would always miss and keep tumbling downwards. All I could hear was the ticking of a clock and my own voice repeating the words, "curiouser and curiouser".

Waking up, I could see the first lights of dawn streaming through my window. _What an odd dream, _I thought, and stood up, pulling my hair out of my eyes. I quickly brushed out my hair and was about to put on my school uniform before I realized that it was a Saturday. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a blue blouse and headed downstairs. I took a post-it note and a pen out of the family office (which we rarely used) and scrawled a quick note to leave by my parents' bedside. It read: _I went to town. I'll be back later. –Paige_

Finishing that, I grabbed twenty dollars out of each of their wallets to pay for my breakfast and lunch and then I headed down to the first floor. I pulled on a jacket and then headed outside. I skipped down the porch steps and stopped first at Jefferson's house before I began my trek towards town. I was relieved the door was unlocked, and I pushed it open, stepping into the entrance hall. The smell of tea still lingered as I walked into the living room. I picked up Henry's storybook off of the ground, where Jefferson must have dropped it when Emma entered. I turned and quickly exited, not anxious to relive it. I ran down Jefferson's steps before continuing down the road that led to town.

I walked for twenty minutes before I hit the sidewalk. Turning down the street towards Granny's Diner, I saw Henry sitting on a bench in front of the diner. "Hi, Henry," I said, going to stand in front of him.

"Hi, Paige," he greeted, looking up to meet my eye. His eyes lighted on the storybook. "My book!" he cried, shooting out of his seat and accepted it as I held it out for him. "Thank you."

"No problem," I said. "Do you want to eat at the diner? I haven't had breakfast yet."

He nodded. "Sure, but I don't have any money."

I pulled the crumpled dollar bills out of my pocket and held them up. "But I do." I smiled, and both of us walked into the diner, the bell above our heads announcing our entrance.

We both sat down at the counter and Ruby came to greet us. "Hi guys."

"Hi," we both replied.

"What do you both want?" she asked, pulling out her pen and a pad of paper.

"I'll have a cup of tea and some French toast," I said and looked to Henry as he began to make his order.

"Can I have some hot cocoa with cinnamon and some waffles?"

Ruby smiled. "Sure. I'll get that started for you." She disappeared through a door to the kitchen.

"How are things?" I asked, pivoting in my stool to face Henry.

"Fine. How about for you?" he replied.

"Had a rough night," I mumbled, pushing my hair out of my face. His expression asked a million questions, but I brushed them aside with a, "I'll explain later" as Ruby sat our drinks down in front of us.

I pulled to mug of tea to my lips, and gently poured some of the warm liquid down my throat. I closed my eyes as the warm sensation took over, and I could hear Jefferson's voice echoing around me. I suddenly felt a warm hand on my arm, and opening my eyes, I saw Henry.

"You kind of freaked me out for a minute there," he said, laughing slightly.

I smiled. "Sorry. I'm just thinking of Jefferson."

"It's okay. The curse will be lifted soon and you two can be together," he reassured. He pulled the mug of hot cocoa to his lips and drank some. He pulled it away and the whipped cream was sticking to his lips. I laughed as he wiped it away with a napkin.

"You missed a spot," I said, as I reached up with my right hand to wipe away a smudge of whipped cream. I cleaned it off my hand with a napkin and looked up to see his beet red face. Realizing what I had just done, I blushed too and mumbled, "Sorry."

Ruby came up and sat the plates down in front of us. "What's wrong with you two?" she asked, a smile playing at her lips as her eyes shifted from Henry's face to mine. "Enjoy," she said, moving away to take the orders of other customers.

We began to eat, the awkward silence being filled with the sounds of our chewing. "Paige?" Henry asked, his eyes averted to his waffles.

"Yeah?" I asked, hesitantly looking up to view his profile.

He glanced up at me and asked, "Do you want to go to the park after this?"

_Like a first date, _a taunting voice in head said. "Sure," I said, silencing the voice. "It'll be fun."

He nodded and wiped his face on his napkin. "Are you ready to go?" Henry asked. I nodded and we waited for Ruby to come with the check.

When she came back, I looked over the check, and handed her the twenty-dollar bill. She returned momentarily with the change, which I stuffed in my pocket, and Henry and I returned out into the November chill.

We walked to the park and found it empty. We strolled around to old fountain, silently, until Henry spoke. "What happened last night?"

I stopped and he turned to face. Taking a deep breath, I said, "My mother was mad at me last night because I got home later. She thought I tried to run away, and that you were a bad influence. She wanted to ground me by not letting me see you. I said that you were one of the best people I've ever met and that I wouldn't stop seeing you. She told me to go to my room and once I was up, she started throwing things."

Henry froze, his eyes boring into mine. "I'm one of the best people you've ever met?"

I nodded. "Yes. You made me believe, you're always here when I need you. You're my best friend," I said, and felt his hand slip into mine.

"You're my best friend," he replied, and nervously, he leaned forward a pressed a quick kiss against my lips. We both backed apart, blushing, but then a grin grew across my face. "What?" he asked.

"That was nice," I whispered, looking at my shoes. I cautiously looked up, and a thoughtful look was on Henry's face.

"Why don't we go to Emma's office? You can see Jefferson," he suggested.

"All right," I agreed, and he grabbed my hand as we headed off towards the police station.

. . . . . . . . . . .

We slipped inside the police station and the door shut quietly behind us. We walked into Emma's office and saw her sitting at her desk. Jefferson sat in his cell, his eyes traveling around the room. "Hey, Paige. Henry," he said, as he saw us.

Emma looked up and greeted us. "Hi guys."

"Hello, Emma," I said, before going quickly over to Jefferson's cell. "How are you?" I asked, cheerfully.

"I'm fine. You seem like you're in a good mood," Jefferson smiled at me.

With a sudden curiosity, I asked, "Do you get tea here?"

His grin widened at the question. "No, but if I asked Ms. Swan I might be able to get some. I never thought to ask," he said, and he looked past me at Emma. "Ms. Swan?"

"What?" she asked, standing up from her desk.

"Next time you go to get coffee, could you get me some tea?"

"I have money to pay for it," I said, holding up my crumpled bills.

"You don't have to pay," Jefferson said.

I insisted, "but I want to." No one could argue with that, and Emma took the money from before walking out the door, promising to be back in ten minutes.

"You're Paige's dad," Henry said flatly, as soon as the door to the police station shut behind Emma.

"Yeah. You're Emma's son." Henry nodded. "She talks a lot about you. About your 'Operation Cobra'. You're a smart kid, to have figured it out."

Henry beamed at the compliment. "You really think so? Everyone else thinks I'm insane."

Jefferson shrugged. "It's not that bad a thing to be insane. I should know… I am the Mad Hatter." A wide grin spread across his face as I broke down in giggles.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N That chapter was pretty light-hearted in the end. The beginning was kind of intense. And yes! It happened! Henry and Paige cuteness! Expect more of that, folks! **

**A few questions:**

**Do you want me to expand by writing in other points of view?**

**Do you think I should pair Jefferson up with anyone? I was thinking Emma.**

**Okay. I just realized that now I have to write a court scene. Time to break out one of my numerous copies of "To Kill A Mockingbird". I wonder who the lawyer will be…**

**Anyways, thank you all so much for the kind reviews, the favorites, and the follows. My mind is blown, and you all are so sweet.**

**I thought I could get out at least two chapters tonight, but I'm also working on a history project right now, so only one. I might be able to write two tomorrow, since it's a Friday.**

**Anyways, please review.**

**Goodnight!**


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

I walked into my house, relieved that it was empty, as my parents had a meeting that night. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed myself a small yogurt. I ate it quickly before running upstairs to my bedroom. It was only eight o'clock, but I changed into my pajamas and laid down in my bed, pulling the covers up over myself.

I turned over onto my stomach and felt my eyes closing. I felt myself being pulled into unconscious as the dream appeared behind my eyelids.

_Jefferson fingered the stitch on his neck, before grasping the scissors. Make it work. Get it to work, he told himself. Holding the finished hat, he dropped it on the ground, but the portal refused to open. He reached into the hat, hoping to find the portal, but instead, his hand hit the stone ground. _

_ He tossed the hat to the side and started on another. "Get it to work! Get it to work," he said, hysterical tears forming. He finished the hat and set it on the ground, but nothing happened. _

_ There he was, doomed to stay there forever, trying to get home to his Grace, but never able to. He worked furiously, day after day, slowly going mad. He tried everything to go home, to make the hat work, but it always failed._

_ That was how the Mad Hatter went mad._

. . . . . . . . . . .

I woke with a start and found my sheets wrapped around me. Disentangling myself, I stood up and walked to my window, forcing it open. Gathering up my courage to do something stupid, I walked to my dresser and pulled on a pair of fuzzy blue socks. I grabbed my sheet and then eased myself out of the window, looking out over Storybrooke fro my spot on the roof.

I cautiously inched my way towards the edge of the roof and looked down. I saw a column that led from the roof to the porch. I tied my sheet around my neck and it hung like a cape. I then sat down on the edge of the roof and grabbed onto the column. I wrapped my arms and legs around it and started to shimmy down. Reaching the porch, I let go and jumped down onto the damp ground.

I walked towards Storybrooke, passing Jefferson's house as I went. I had no idea where in town I would go, as nothing could possibly be open at this time of night. Brushing that thought aside, I entered the town, wearing my pajamas and fuzzy socks with my sheet pulled around my shoulders. I looked at the police station and squinted my eyes as I saw a shadow cross over the window. _What on earth? _I wondered, and crossed the street towards the building.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Regina continued her pacing, crossing over the light from the lamp on Emma's desk, casting a long shadow across the window. She went to look out the window, her eyes carelessly scanning the streets. "I've all ready explained it to you, Jefferson. I need you out of jail, because you need to do a quick favor for me."

Jefferson leaned forward against the bars of his cell. "And what is that 'little favor'?"

"Just a little job. You'll get paid finely, as always," Regina said, turning away from her vigil to face him.

Jefferson scoffed. "I doubt it. The last time I did you a favor I got abandoned in Wonderland!"

"I had my reasons for leaving you there," Regina said, averting his gaze.

Jefferson clenched his fists around the bars. "Your own _selfish reasons_. Why do you need me so much? I'm sure the man in the magic mirror of yours would be more than happy to help you," he said.

"You don't understand," she cried, walking towards the cell and laying her hands on top of his. He shrank away from her touch. "Please don't flinch. You're the only one that I have left!" She sunk to the floor as she felt her world falling apart around her. That Emma Swan had changed everything. The people she had controlled were getting ideas of their own; Henry no longer even pretended to love her. And now this. Her Jefferson, the last person she knew she could count on, refused to help her. Regina wrapped her arms around the bars, and her fingers grazed the leather on Jefferson's boots.

"Oh, Regina," he said, kneeling down. Gently taking her hand, he thought for a moment. "I'll help you, but it better pay off. No more lies. No more tricks."

Looking up through her tears, she forced on a smile. "Thank you so much, Jefferson. Just promise me one thing."

"What?" he asked.

"Never leave me again."

At that moment a figure stepped out of the shadows.

. . . . . . . . . . .

I ran across the street, leaning against the wall of the police station. I tried the doorknob, and finding that it was unlocked, I slowly pushed it open and, once I was inside, I silently closed it behind me. I heard talking in Emma's office but I couldn't make out what the voices were saying. I had to check for a moment to make sure that they weren't the voices inside my head, but they had been gone for days. I heard someone falling to the floor and a soft, comforting voice. _Jefferson… _

I crept to the doorway to Emma's office and peeked inside, careful to stay concealed in the shadows. Jefferson and Regina. A whisper: _Never leave me again. _

Not thinking straight, I stepped into the room.

"Paige?" Jefferson asked, and Regina turned to look at me. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing," I said. "I just decided to come to town." I knew I must have looked ridiculous, with my cape and my pajamas and my fuzzy blue socks all covered in mud.

"Hi Paige," Regina said, standing up and brushing herself off. "Nice seeing you again, Jefferson." She grinned, and when she thought I wasn't looking, she winked. I heard her exit and the door shut behind her.

"Why was she here?" I asked.

He sighed. "She wanted to talk about the trial. That's all."

"Why was she on the ground?"

"She's been having a tough time recently," Jefferson replied.

I nodded, walking towards the cell. I sat down on the ground outside of it, and laid my head against the bars. "I'm tired," I whispered.

"You can sleep on that desk," Jefferson said, pointing at it. It was Graham's desk, and now, it lay empty. Nodding, I got up, untying the sheet from around my neck. I curled up on the desk and pulled the sheet over me.

"Goodnight, Jefferson," I whispered as my eyes slid shut.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N Okay, I couldn't help with the Mad Queen thing. I had my first detention today. I think I'll write another chapter tonight. I hope I have the chance. **

**Please review!**


	13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

I woke up in a drowsy state to see Emma sitting on a stool by Jefferson's cell. They smiled at each other, and I saw her laughing as he said something; I couldn't make out what. Jefferson glanced over at me and his face lit up. "She's up."

Emma turned her head and stood up from her stool, walking over to me and helping me off of the desk. "I'm guessing you're parents don't know you're here."

"No," I said, smoothing back my tangled hair. "And please don't take me back there." I waved to Jefferson, a sleepy smile gracing my face.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," he greeted me, grinning. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Emma smiling at the both of us.

"Come on, Paige. I'll get you some breakfast at the diner," she offered, and I nodded. "And I'll get youyour tea," she laughed, pointing at Jefferson.

"You're too kind," he replied, flopping down onto his cot.

I grabbed my sheet and wrapped it around my shoulders before following Emma out the door. It was a cold day, and I was glad to have the small protection that the thin blanket provided me. We hurried across the street and stepped inside the warm diner. Many of the customers looked up as we entered.

Ms. Blanchard sat at a table with a book in her hand. When the bell rang, she looked up, dropping her book as she leapt out of her seat. "Paige?" she asked, coming towards me and gently gripping my shoulders. "What happened?" She shot a questioning look at Emma.

Emma held up her hands defensively. "I had nothing to do with it. I came in this morning and the door was unlocked. I found her sleeping on Graham's desk." She struggled with the name, and for the first time I realized how hard it must have been for her.

Ms. Blanchard nodded. "Do you want breakfast?"

"That's why I brought her here," Emma said. She led me to a seat at the counter and her and Ms. Blanchard sat on either side of me.

Ruby walked out of the kitchen and began laughing as she saw me.

"It's not that funny, Ruby," Ms. Blanchard said.

The waitress managed to get a hold on herself and asked, "What do you guys want?"

"I'll have some tea and waffles," I said.

"Can I have a cup of coffee and some tea in a to-go cup?" Emma asked.

"Sure," Ruby replied, writing down our order. "Anything for you Mary Margaret?"

"No thanks. I'm all right," the schoolteacher replied, smiling. "Well, I've got to go."

"Where are you heading?" Emma asked, as Ms. Blanchard stood up, pulling on her jacket.

"Volunteering at the hospital," she explained. "Bye." She walked out the door.

Ruby set our drinks down in front of us. I stirred my tea quickly before asking Emma, "What do you think of Jefferson?"

Her coffee mug, which was in the middle of its ascent to her lips, suddenly froze in midair. Her voice trembled as she asked, "W-what do you mean?"

"Just a general question," I said, shrugging. "What do you think about him? It's not like I would tell."

"Fine," Emma said, sounding defeated. "But first, answer this one question." I nodded, and then she asked, "What's going on with you and Henry?"

I blushed and went searching for a reply. "It's okay," she said. "I just wanted to make sure it was what I thought it was."

Once I regained my composure, I asked, "So what do you think of Jefferson?"

"I think he's nice and funny."

"Such bland adjectives," I said.

She laughed. "Well it's true. Anyways, he's sweet. And that's all I have to say." I saw a faint blush creeping into her cheeks, and I couldn't suppress my smile. "What?"

"Nothing," I giggled and Ruby set my plate down in front of me.

. . . . . . . . . . .

We returned to the police station after my breakfast, and Emma walked to Jefferson's cell, passing the cup of tea through the bars. I went to sit by the cell, my head leaning against the wall. "When's the trial?" I asked, to no one in particular.

"Next week," Emma said, sitting down at her desk.

"Really?" I asked. "Isn't that really soon? Who's the lawyer?"

"Mr. Gold," she replied, not looking up from her papers.

I nodded. "Oh. Are you nervous?" I asked Jefferson.

"Not at all," he said, smiling.

"Good," I said. "Is that good tea?"

Jefferson smiled and shrugged. "It's all right. Do you want to try some?"

I nodded vigorously and sipped some of the tea. "It's good," I said, handing it back to him. I stood up and began pacing around Emma's office.

"What's up with you?" she asked.

"Bored," I said.

"You could go find Henry," Emma suggested. I saw Jefferson nodding slightly.

"All right," I said. "Bye Jefferson. Bye Emma." Jefferson waved to me and I walked out the door.

. . . . . . . . . . .

I found Henry sitting in the empty schoolyard, looking over his book. "Hi, Henry," I said as I neared him.

He looked up to greet me, but before he could say anything, his eyes widened in shock. "What happened to you?"

"I left my house at around three in the morning and slept on a desk in the police station," I explained, sitting down next to him.

"Oh," he said, biting back a laugh.

"Hey!" I protested, but a giggle escaped anyways.

"I don't mean it rudely," Henry said. "You look really nice." I blushed and whispered my thanks.

"I have something to say… about the curse," I told him.

"What?"

"Well, I'm not sure if it really matters, but Regina was at the police station last night."

"What was she doing there?" Henry asked, setting his book down.

"I have no idea, but she looked really upset and Jefferson was sort of comforting her," I thought for a moment. "They were sort of friends before the curse, right?"

"Sort of, besides the fact that she left him in Wonderland," Henry said.

"I know, I know. But before that, they were friends."

Henry nodded. "Yeah."

"And he used to take her places in his hat, so that she could get the things she needed."

"Exactly," Henry said, not sure what I was thinking.

My mind was racing as I said, "And Regina wants him to get out of jail…"

"So," he said, "they're in love?"

"No, no, no, no," I said quickly. "She wants him out, so that he can get something for her. Regina has magic, and we need to find it."

"She would probably keep it in her office," Henry speculated. "Or in her mausoleum."

"She has a mausoleum?" I asked.

"Yeah," Henry replied. "It's where she keeps all the hearts that she's ripped out."

"Ew," I slowly said.

Henry nodded. "Ew is right."

"Do you think Regina might have Jefferson's hat?" I asked.

"It's definitely possible."

"We could go check in her office right now. Do you think she has the day off?" I asked.

"I don't think you get days off from being mayor," Henry pointed out.

"Oh yeah," I muttered. "Well, we could go and see if she's in her office." We both walked through town until we reached Regina's office. We walked inside and went to the main room.

"I'll look around, you keep watch," Henry said as he began rummaging through her things. I went to the window, watching the cars pass by. "Any sign of her?"

"No," I said, looking back at him. For five minutes I kept my vigil, until I saw Regina walking towards the building. "Henry! She's coming!" I cried. He held up a hatbox, and I nodded. He put it back in its place and we ran to sit on two plush chairs in the corner.

Regina stepped inside the room, pulling off her coat. "Henry! Paige!" she said once she noticed us. "What a pleasant surprise. Is there anything I can help you with?" Her eyes seemed to linger on me, remembering our encounter, almost daring me to mention it.

Henry spoke up, "We were wondering if you would like to join us at lunch."

"I'm sorry, but I just ate. Maybe another time?" Regina said.

"Okay," Henry said. "Well, we have to go. Bye." We stood from our chairs and hurriedly left the room.

"Nice save," I told him once we were outside.

He laughed. "We'll go back in tonight, to get the hat."

"All right," I nodded. "What time?"

"How about midnight?"

I nodded, taking his hand. "I'll be there," I said, and we shook on it.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N I'm sorry that I didn't update again last night. I drank a bunch of caffeinated stuff in an empty to stay awake, but that stuff never works for me and I crashed. Also, this chapter gave me a lot of trouble. I'm sorry the last chapter was short, and I hope this makes up for it.**

**Please review.**


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

I sat on the steps of Regina's office, waiting for Henry to show up. I saw him approach and he sprinted up the steps as he saw me. "Hey," he said.

"Hi," I greeted. "Do you have the keys?"

He shook his head. "No, but I have something better." He held up a bobby pin.

"You're going to… _pick _the lock?" I asked.

Henry nodded. "Yeah, I've done it before." Deciding to postpone my disbelief, I let him get the door open and we both stepped inside. Once I entered the place, my breath caught in my throat and the realization that I was really doing this almost knocked me off my feet. We slowly tiptoed into the room that we had been in before, and I could hear my heart pounding.

Henry ran over to wear the hatbox had been before, and set it down on the desk, opening it up. I crept over and looked inside. It was a worn top hat with a ribbon around it; it was too dark to make out the exact color. Henry pulled out the hat. "I'll take it," I whispered. "I can hide it better at my house."

"All right," he said and handed it to me. As it touched my hands, I felt a rush of power, but as quickly as it came, it vanished. "I think this might be all we need for now. If we need more, we can go to the mausoleum another time.

"All right," I said, and we hurried out of the office.

. . . . . . . . . . .

When I returned to my bedroom for the first time in what seemed like forever, I slid the hat underneath my bed and then quickly lay down to sleep. My eyelids instantly drooped and I fell under sleep's spell.

For once I had no dreams.

. . . . . . . . . . .

I woke up early the next morning and pulled the hat out from under my bed. I thought it was unusual that I had no dreams; if anything, I thought the hat would amplify them. I turned the hat over in my hands, feeling the worn fabric and the smooth ribbon. I breathed in the cold breeze wafting in from my window and the solution hit me. _The hat has no magic._

The hat is a means of which to travel, but without magic, it was nearly useless. _Except as an accessory,_ I thought and giggled, before placing it on my head. I could feel my eyes involuntarily closing as I felt my body shut down. I panicked for a moment, but then the vision began.

_I fell downwards, landing in a field of flowers. "Grace!" Jefferson said, walking towards me and helping me to my feet. "I thought I lost you in the portal." He looked relieved to see me._

_ "I'm all right," I said, brushing off myself. I found myself wearing a blue dress that came down to my knees and a white apron. My shoes were black and my tights were black and white striped. I had never worn these clothes before, but the sight of them was vaguely familiar. "Where are we?" I asked, looking around at the tall flowers and the dense, almost intimidating woods that lay at the end of the field._

_ "Wonderland," he whispered, and I noticed that he tensed up. "Not so great, is it?"_

_ I shrugged. "It seems fine."_

_ He laughed, but it was dry, bitter, and humorless. "Time to see where you come from," he told me, and beckoned me to follow as we walked into the woods._

Suddenly, I found myself back in control, and the hat toppled from my head. I hurriedly got dressed for school and rushed downstairs to have breakfast and gather my things. "Good morning, Paige," my mother said as she sat a bowl of cereal onto the counter for me.

"Morning," I said, opening up the refrigerator and pulling out the carton of orange juice. I poured myself a tall glass of orange juice and sipped it in between mouthfuls of cereal. I stood up from my stool and placed my dishes in the sink. "I'm going now," I said, pulling on my jacket.

"Bye-bye, sweetheart," my mother said, rushing to hug me. Once she released her grip on my, I grabbed my backpack and rushed out the door and down my front steps. I went to the bend in the road and waited for the bus. Once it arrived, I hopped on and greeted Mr. Leroy, though he did not give much of a response.

I sat down in the front of the bus and leaned my head back against the seat. I thought of the hat, how I had traveled to Wonderland, though not literally. I would have to tell Henry about it all. The dress, the flowers, the imposing forest. _I wonder what hides under the cover of those trees…_

I couldn't erase the pure rush I felt as I fell down through that portal. _It was a daydream, _a voice whispered. _But it felt so real. _My eyes fogged over as I remembered the vision, and really, I wanted another one. It was exhilarating, falling through the portal to a whole other world.

Henry plopped down beside me on the seat and I jumped involuntarily. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Wasn't expecting it," I mumbled.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at me intently. "You seem sort of… out of it."

I sucked in a breathe before whispering, "I put on the hat this morning."

"You what?" Henry asked in disbelief. "What happened?"

"I had a vision," I said. "I was in a field of flowers, with Jefferson. At the edge of the field was a dark forest."

"Anything else? Anything before that? Any little details?" he pressed.

"Yes. I was falling through a portal before I landed in the field. Jefferson said he was afraid he had lost me," I recounted. "Also, I was wearing a blue dress and a white apron. My shoes were black and I had white and black striped tights." I paused and thought for a second, before adding, "The clothes were strangely familiar."

"Like Alice in Wonderland…" Henry trailed off, his eyes glassy as he was deep in thought. "Alice."

"But I thought I was Grace."

"But your destiny, is to be Alice in Wonderland," he said. "You're Alice."

"I can ask Jefferson. He's bound to know," I said. "He knows more about the Enchanted Forest and other lands than either of us do."

Henry nodded as the bus pulled to a stop in front of the school. We grabbed our things and got off the bus, going to sit at one of the benches. "What's so important about Alice?" I asked.

"Well, she was getting chased by the Queen of Hearts, who was basically the dictator of Wonderland. Instead of saving everyone, she went back to her world," Henry explained.

"Doesn't say too many good things about her," I mumbled.

"At least that's how it happened in the book," he said. "There aren't any stories about Alice in my book."

"So what are you saying about my destiny?" I asked, and Henry looked up from his storybook.

"Your destiny?" I nodded. Closing his book, he said, "You have to save Wonderland."

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N That was the chapter. I'm so sorry that I didn't update yesterday. I'm really just trying to have this whole story make sense in my head. I was trying to please people with this story, by having other romances, but now I'm going to write it for myself (which hopefully you all will like). So yeah. Hopefully I'll update tomorrow.**

**And thank you all for the reviews. In terms of what episode this is at, I'm not really following the storyline of the show, so it doesn't really matter.**

**Please review.**


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

I thought about my so-called destiny as I sat through our morning history class. Henry nudged me often under the table in an attempt to snap me out of it, but the awareness only lasted for a few moments before I sunk back into my ponderings.

As I slowly came back to reality to hear the pencils scratching against paper as the other students wrote their answers onto a worksheet. I picked the same paper up off my desk and pulled out a pencil. Looking up, I saw Ms. Blanchard looking at me thoughtfully, and when she noticed me looking at her, she gave me a small smile.

I hurriedly began to fill out the worksheet, occasionally glancing at Henry's answers to serve as a guide, as I had not paid much attention during class. Eventually, the bell rang and as the students stood up to leave, Ms. Blanchard beckoned me to come to her desk.

Henry looked confused, but filed out with the rest of the students. "Yes?" I asked once the room was empty.

"Is anything on your mind?" she asked, standing up from her desk. "You haven't been paying attention."

"I didn't get much sleep last night," I said, and though that was not the only reason, I hoped that it would pass.

Ms. Blanchard nodded and said, "If you ever need to talk to anyone, you can always come to me."

I was slightly shocked. "Wh-what?"

"You've been having a tough time, with your parents and Jefferson," she added. "If you're having any troubles, I'm always here to help."

"All right," I said. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Ms. Blanchard said with a small smile. "Now go catch up with Henry."

I grinned. "Thank you," I told her and ran out to recess. "Hi Henry," I said when I reached the bench.

He greeted me and asked, "What did she want to talk about?"

"About how I wasn't paying attention in class. I've just been thinking back to those visions. And to my destiny," I said. Suddenly, I asked, "Are you sure though? I'm not really the type to save a whole world."

"I'm sure you can do it," Henry said. "But you should ask Jefferson if you think he might know a bit about it."

"I'll go to see him after school," I said. "If you want, you can come too."

Henry nodded. "I'll definitely go."

"You enjoy this fairy tale stuff, don't you?" I asked, resting my hands on my knees. Henry nodded. "You should be a writer," I suggested.

"I've thought about that a bit," Henry said. Then he suddenly cried, "It's unfair!"

"What is?" I asked, concerned about his sudden outburst.

He sighed. "Everyone else is destined for greatness, and they have these amazing other lives. I'm just Henry."

"And I'm glad you're you. Because Henry _is _amazing," I insisted, laying my hand over his.

"You're Grace. And Paige. And soon you'll be Alice," Henry said. "That's better than a dumb boy fawning over a storybook," he muttered bitterly.

"You are not dumb," I said. "You are the smartest person I know. You know the truth, and made me believe. You helped me find my father!"

"You would've found him anyways," Henry said.

"No I wouldn't have. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have even known his name."

Henry shrugged. At that moment the bell rang and we hurried back to class.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Hi Jefferson," I called as Henry and I walked into Emma's office.

"Hey Paige," he said. I rushed to the cell and sat down beside it. "How was your day?"

"It was fine," I replied, smiling.

Henry walked over to the cell and sat down beside me, waving to Jefferson.

"Hi Henry," Jefferson said. "Nice to see you both."

"Jefferson, I have to ask you something," I said, and looked to Henry. "Did you ever take me to Wonderland?"

He shook his head. "I would never do that." He thought for a moment before adding, "But just out of curiosity, why are you asking?"

"I had a vision. That we were in a field, and you said it was Wonderland," I told him. I leaned towards Henry and whispered, "Should we tell him about the hat?"

Henry bit his lip before quietly responding, "Not now."

I nodded and then said to Jefferson, "We have a theory about the vision."

"What is it?" he asked, looking genuinely curious as he rested his forehead against the bars.

I took a deep breath for saying, "I'm Alice. Or at least I will be."

"You can't be Alice. There already was an Alice," Jefferson said.

Henry entered the conversation, saying, "We don't mean she's really Alice. We just mean that she will fulfill Alice's destiny."

"She'll save Wonderland," Jefferson muttered, a grin breaking across his face.

I nodded, though I had no idea how I would go about doing any of this. "The question is how to get there."

"And how to break the curse," Henry added. We heard the door to the police station open and close, and then Emma came into the office.

"Hi guys," she said, setting her bag down on her desk. She wheeled her chair over by the cell and sat down. "How was school today?"

"Good," Henry said. I nodded my head in agreement.

"I'm glad," Emma said, and I saw a contented smile cross her face. "Henry, is Regina going to take you to the trial tomorrow?"

"I think so," Henry said. "And if she doesn't take me, I'll go anyways."

Jefferson laughed. "It doesn't do any good to double-cross Regina."

"How do you know so much about her?" Emma asked.

"We're old friends," he said, looking at me and Henry, and we grinned.

Emma's eyes shifted between our faces, and asked, "What are you all smiling about?"

"You've read the story," Henry prodded. "You should know."

Emma stood up from her chair abruptly. She opened her mouth, and then paused, searching for the words. "I don't believe in fairy tales, Henry."

Jefferson spoke up, saying, "It's not a fairy tale if it doesn't have a happy ending."

Emma sighed. "I don't care about those little technicalities. They're just stories." Jefferson opened his mouth as if to say something, but she cut him off. "No."

"But Emma…" Henry pleaded, looking hurt.

She looked down at him, and said, "Henry, life isn't like the stories in your book. There aren't always happy endings." She pushed her chair back over to her desk and then whispered, "I'm going back to Mary Margaret's apartment."

The door banged shut behind her, and the three of us sat in silence.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Regina stood in her garden, surveying her apple trees. She looked over the green leaves and the bright red apples. In the far corner of her garden, she saw an apple fall. Worry surging through her, she rushed over to it, kneeling on the ground by the fallen apple.

She took it in her hand and it was soft. She broke it open, and on the inside it was all brown. _It was true, _Regina thought, looking up at the other apples hanging loosely. _The curse is breaking. And only one person can help me fix it. Jefferson…_

The whole town would soon be free of the curse, and they would remember. And they would kill her. _The trial's tomorrow, _she thought in an attempt to sooth herself. _Surely Rumple can handle this. Jefferson will be free, and he can help me. And Emma will be gone. And Henry will love me. And I will still be in control. _She tossed the apple to the side and raised herself from the ground. _All I need is a little magic._

A faint, faraway voice whispered in her ear: _Magic is power. And power is freedom._

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N That's the chapter. Some people were mentioning how Regina's breakdown didn't make sense, so I hope the scene at the end helped a bit. Next chapter will be the trial. **

**Please review.**


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

The door banged shut and a long silence followed it. I looked from Henry's face to Jefferson's, and they both looked lost in thought. "How do we make Emma believe?" I asked, hoping they would offer some sort of answer.

Jefferson spoke up first, saying, "We give her irrefutable proof."

"Do you have proof like that?" Henry asked, his eyes coming back to focus on us.

Jefferson shrugged. "You know how our story ends, don't you?"

"The Mad Hatter gets his head chopped off by the Queen of Hearts," Henry said, shrugging. Suddenly his eyes widened and he gasped, "You don't mean-"

Jefferson solemnly nodded, and unwrapped his silk scarf from its place around his neck. I gasped as his hands moved from his neck and the scarf fell away as well. A long scar snaked all the way around his throat.

"The Queen of Hearts did _this_?" I asked, reaching out towards the scar, but then I pulled my hand away. He nodded.

"So you're going to show Emma?" Henry asked.

"Yeah," Jefferson said, tying his scarf around his neck again. "Hopefully it'll have some effect on her."

"I'm sure it will," I said, but I was a bit doubtful. Emma had grown up away from magic. I had no idea how much proof it would take for her to believe.

Henry checked the wall clock, and it read 4:30. "I'm going to have to go," he said, standing up.

"I'll probably go too."

Jefferson's face fell, but he shrugged and forced on a smile. "I'll see you guys."

I pulled him into a hug through the bars. "I love you," I whispered contentedly.

"I love you too, Grace," he replied, and at the mention of my real name, my throat grew tight. When we pulled apart, I went to meet Henry by the door.

"Do you want me to turn off the light?" I asked, my hand resting on the light switch.

"Might as well," Jefferson said, and he gave me a sad smile. I flicked the switch down, and the room darkened considerably, thought light still streamed in through the window. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye," I said, as Henry and I left the police station.

. . . . . . . . . . .

By the time I reached home, my parents were gathered around the dinner table. "Ah Paige," my father said. "How nice of you to join us."

"Hello," I said, seating myself at the table. "How was your day?"

"Full of anticipation," my mother said, placing a spoonful of carrots on her plate. "I can barely contain my excitement for the trial." She smiled too much, and was looking at me strangely.

I nodded, and managed a quick, "Yes."

"So you are excited?" my father inquired, that sugary smile creeping onto his face as well.

"Yes," I whispered, staring at my plate.

"As are we," my mother said, and reached over to touch my hand. I cringed away, but she grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight. "We know you'll make the right decision." With that, they both placed their dishes in the kitchen and then left the room, probably to go to the basement.

I silently began to eat my dinner, my thoughts running wild. _I'll tell the truth. I'll say Jefferson didn't kidnap me, that he's my real dad. They aren't my real parents. They don't even like me, and I definitely don't like them…_

Suddenly, I interjected, _Don't do that, Paige. They'll think you're crazy. You'll say what really happened, that way Jefferson can't lose._

With those thoughts fresh in my mind, I went up to my bedroom, my feet heavy with fatigue.

. . . . . . . . . . .

The courtroom was full that day, with people lining the back of the room and leaning against the closed doors. It had probably been the first trial Storybrooke had seen in decades, and no residents were eager to miss it. I sat in the front of the courtroom, with Emma seated beside. I glanced nervously back at the crowd, and she reached out and patted my hand. "It'll be fine," she whispered. "He _will_ be acquitted."

"I know," I said. "I'm just looking for Henry."

"He'll show up," Emma replied, but then Jefferson was being led to the courtroom and the judge was slamming his gavel against the table.

"Order in the court," Judge Spencer said, and once the courtroom was silent, he continued. "We are here for the trial of Jefferson…" he trailed off, glancing at Jefferson.

"Maddigan," he supplied, and the judge nodded.

"For the trial of Jefferson Maddigan, who was accused for the kidnapping of Paige Kingsley. First, I would like to call Sheriff Emma Swan to the stand."

Emma stood up, and walked towards the front of the room, sitting down up front. She smiled at me as Mr. Gold approached. "So Miss Swan, you were present when my client was arrested, am I correct?" Mr. Gold asking, rubbing his hands together.

"Yes, that's true. I am the one who made the arrest," Emma replied, leaning forward towards the microphone.

"And what did you see when you entered Mr. Maddigan's house?" Mr. Gold asked, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Jefferson stifling a laugh at the way Mr. Gold referred to him.

"Paige opened the door," Emma said. "And nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. It hardly looked like a kidnapping. There was some tea sitting on the table."

"Is it possible that the tea could have been drugged?"

"No. Otherwise Paige probably would have already collapsed," Emma said. "As I was saying, it looked nothing like a kidnapping. When Paige opened the door, I had my gun out, and Jefferson was worried when he saw it. Not worried for himself, but for her," Emma finished, and glanced up at Judge Spencer. "Is that all you need?"

"Yes," the judge said, and Emma stood and returned to her seat beside me.

She whispered in my ear, "Henry's here." I smile and nodded in thanks. Then, Judge Spencer spoke again, saying, "Demona Kingsley to the stand."

I saw my mother as she passed by, her high heels clicking against the floor of the court building. She sat down at the stand and Mr. Gold began the questioning. "What happened when you returned home?"

"I didn't see Paige anywhere. I knew nothing about…" she paused for a moment, and then pointing her finger at Jefferson, referring to him with disgust as she snarled, "_him._"

"All right," Mr. Gold said. "Do you have anything else to say about it?"

"Yes. I searched everywhere and I couldn't find Paige. Then, my husband came home, and the both of us searched and we couldn't find her anywhere. At that point, we called Sheriff Swan, and we both went to the police station while she drove up to look."

"Thank you," Mr. Gold said, walking back to his table. He leaned over to whisper something to Jefferson, who nodded. The two shook hands as the judge let my mother return to her seat and called my father to the stand.

Since my father's speech closely matched my own, and I leaned towards Emma and asked, "What do you think Jefferson and Mr. Gold were talking about?"

Emma shrugged. "Business, I guess. But we should pay attention, they'll probably call you up soon." I looked up to my father, who was nervously reciting his story as he clasped both hands together.

"Thank you. That will be all," Mr. Gold said, a look of relief passing over his face as my father returned to his seat. I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"Paige Kingsley to the stand, please," Judge Spencer said, and I felt myself freeze in terror.

Emma reached out and squeezed my hand, whispering, "It'll be fine." I stood up and walked to the stand, my head pounding with every step. I sat down, somewhat dizzy with anxiety. I looked out over the crowd, and they generally looked very supportive. I caught Henry's eye, and he gave me a thumbs up. I looked over at Jefferson, and he smiled at me, a gesture that I promptly returned.

"Miss Kingsley," Mr. Gold addressed me, and suddenly the whole thing felt like a joke, an act, a comical play.

"Yes, Mr. Gold?" I replied.

"Could you tell us all what happened, from your point of view?" Mr. Gold asked.

"I would love to," I said, feeling braver than I felt. I took a deep breathe before launching into my story. "That day I came home from school at 4:00. My parents, as usual, were not home, so I went up to my bedroom. I wrote on my window, _Can I come over? _since I didn't want to be home alone. Jefferson said yes, so I went over to his house."

"Continue," Mr. Gold said, and I did.

"I went over, and we had some tea, which was not at all drugged. We talked for a while, and read out of a book, and then there was a knock on the door." I paused before saying, "I went to answer it, and it was Emma, but at first all I saw was the gun. Jefferson screamed something like no, and then she put the handcuffs on him and then I went down to the police station with them."

Mr. Gold nodded. "And when did you start your friendship with Jefferson?"

"He's always lived next door to me, and it seemed like he didn't have many friends, and he looked sad and lonely. So I talked to him. He took me to school once when I missed the bus."

"And your parents couldn't take you?" Mr. Gold asked.

"No. They were at work. They're usually at work," I said, and glanced into the crowd at my parents' fuming faces.

"Well thank you Paige," Mr. Gold said, and I returned to my seat, smiling at Jefferson, who was next called to the stand.

Emma high-fived me when I sat down beside her, and said, "Good job."

"Thanks," I whispered, before focusing on Jefferson. He looked nervous, but tried to maintain a straight face. Mr. Gold then began questioning him.

"Do you agree with Paige's story?"

"Yes. That's what happened. She asked if she could come over, and I said yes. We made some tea, and read out of a storybook. Miss Swan showed up then, and pointed the gun in Paige's face."

"How did you react to that?" Mr. Gold asked, and I saw something flash over Jefferson's face.

"I was terrified," he stated simply.

"Would you care to elaborate?" Mr. Gold asked, and judging by the way they went back and forth, they had definitely known each other during their time in the Enchanted Forest. Maybe they had even been friends…

"Yes I would," Jefferson said. "Paige is probably the only friend I've had in a really long time, so the thought of losing her, it could have killed me. So I was terrified."

"All right," Mr. Gold said, pacing a bit as he thought of the next question. "So when did you begin your friendship with Miss Paige?"

"Well I was very lonely, and it seemed that in a way she was too. So we just started spending time together."

"And what would you say about Paige's opinion of her parents?"

Jefferson thought before saying, "From what she told me it seemed like they were never really around her much."

"All right," Mr. Gold said, as the judge told Jefferson to return to his seat. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. Mr. Gold returned to his seat by Jefferson and the two began a hushed conversation. The jury stood up and left the room, and then we were all permitted to stand up and stretch our legs.

Henry ran up to me, saying, "You did it, Paige! We won!" He pulled me into a hug, which I returned.

"We haven't won yet," Emma said, bringing us both back to reality.

"But we will," Henry said. "Paige gave them evidence. And so did you."

Emma shrugged. "We'll gave to wait and see." She looked to me and said, "You can go see Jefferson if you want."

I nodded. "Thank you," I said, before sprinting over to his table. "Hello Mr. Maddigan," I said, and we both broke down into laughter.

"My, my," Mr. Gold said, hesitantly patting me on the back.

Once we had calmed down, Jefferson said, "Don't make fun, Miss Kingsley."

"Kingsley isn't as funny as Maddigan," I countered. "Especially since _you're _the Mad Hatter."

Mr. Gold raised his eyebrows. "She knows?"

Jefferson nodded, not taking his eyes off me. "Yeah, she knows."

"Remarkable," Mr. Gold said, deep in thought. "This is your Grace."

Jefferson nodded. At that moment, the jury returned to the room and I quickly returned to my seat, as did everyone else in the courtroom.

One member of the jury, who was easily recognizable as Ruby Lucas, stood up, holding a slip of paper. "How do you find the defendant?" Judge Spencer asked.

"We find the defendant not guilty," Ruby said, smiling widely at the verdict. I clasped my hand over my mouth to contain my excitement, but a small squeak still escaped. Everyone was quickly getting out of their seats. I got up and began to head towards Jefferson, but I suddenly felt my mother's hand wrapping around my wrist, her long fingernails grating against my skin. She dragged me towards the door, muttering obscenities at me.

"We gave you simple instructions, and you couldn't follow them," she snarled.

I looked behind me, and saw Jefferson moving quickly through the crowd. "Paige!" he cried when he saw me, but then the heavy oak doors closed behind me and I could see him no longer.

I was pulled out of the courthouse and saw our car parked out front, with my father sitting in the driver's seat. My mother shoved me into the back seat and closed the door sharply before taking her place in the passenger's seat. My father revved the ignition and we barreled towards the road that our home lay on.

I looked out the window at the passing trees, feeling bitter. _We won, but nothing will change. In fact, things will probably get worse._

When I saw our house quickly pass by, I asked, "Where are we going?" But then it clicked. "No! We can't leave Storybrooke! We can't!"

"Yes we can. And maybe it will teach you a lesson," my mother responded vehemently to my protests.

I saw the Storybrooke sign approaching at a breakneck speed, and suddenly a rabbit appeared in the road. My father veered to avoid it, and I felt my mouth open in a scream as the car flipped over and my head connected with the window and the glass showered down on me. "No…" I whispered, as the world faded to nothing.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N There's the chapter. What's going to happen next? I'm working on it. Expect a lot more Mr. Gold though.**

**Please review.**


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

When Emma approached the turned over car, her heart clenched in fear. _Paige, _she thought, and called the paramedics over. Emma ran to the side of the car, and saw Paige, with a head wound and blood seeping from cuts that covered her arms and legs from where the glass had rained down on her. The paramedics hurried over, bringing stretchers, with which they lifted up Paige and her parents and placed them on. They rushed them into the ambulance and Emma climbed into the back of one after the paramedics. The doors were closed and they sped towards the hospital.

Emma reached out and gently took one of Paige's hands. "Don't worry, honey. It will be all right. You'll be okay. I won't let anything happen to you. And neither will Jefferson… or Henry." Emma sighed, leaning back against the uncomfortable chair she sat in. "How have we gotten ourselves into this mess," she wondered, her ponderings barely audible over the screeching of the siren. They jolted to a stop in front of the hospital, and the paramedics took hold of Paige's stretcher and rushed her inside, with Emma running after them. She followed them into the emergency room, where she found Dr. Whale leaning against a counter in a corner of the room, sipping water out of a paper cup.

"Whale," Emma said, storming towards him and taking the cup out of his hand, tossing it into the trashcan. "Don't you dare let her die. Because you'll have plenty of people to answer to if she does."

Dr. Whale drew himself up to his full height, and said, "Miss Swan, if you would be so kind to allow me to do my job. The waiting room is that way," he said, pointing, and the leading her out of the emergency room, shutting the door behind her. Emma pressed her ear against the door, but could hear nothing. Pulling herself together, she left the waiting room and headed towards Granny's for a warm drink.

She walked down the street and entered the diner, relishing in the warmth. Emma noticed Jefferson and Mr. Gold were sitting in a booth in the far corner of the diner. She could just barely understand their quiet exchange as she walked to the counter and ordered a hot cocoa from Ruby. "Good job today," Ruby told her.

"You too," Emma said, as she listened in on the two men's conversation.

Jefferson spoke first, "Her parents. They took her. I don't know where."

"Don't worry about it now," Gold replied, taking a sip of his tea. "Most likely it is nothing."

"You never know," Jefferson grumbled. "Anything can happen in this town."

The two exchanged a short laugh, and then Emma turned away as Ruby brought her drink to her. "Do you know what happened with Paige after the trial?" she inquired in a hushed tone. "I saw her mother drag her out."

"Yeah," Emma said, her eyes focusing on her cocoa as she stirred it, the spoon clinking around the edges of the glass.

Jefferson, interested in their conversation, stood up and silently walked forward.

"They crashed into the Storybrooke sign. She's in pretty bad shape. They're in the emergency room now."

"What?" Jefferson asked in horror, and Emma spun in her stool to look at him, the hot cocoa sloshing out of her mug.

"Great," Emma sighed, setting her mug on the counter and attempting to clean herself up with a napkin.

"Grace is hurt?" he asked.

"Yes," Emma said. "Grace is Paige, right?" But Jefferson didn't reply as he bolted out the door and down the street.

"You had to say it," Mr. Gold said.

Ruby interjected, "But I asked."

"He has a right to know about Paige, Gold." Emma said, handing Ruby a five-dollar bill and going off in pursuit of Jefferson.

"How do you think he'll react?" Ruby asked Mr. Gold, folding the dollar bill over and over in her hands.

"Jefferson? He'll break," Mr. Gold replied, walking towards the door. "By the way, thank you for the tea."

The door shut and the bell rang slightly, and Ruby set to work cleaning up the spilled hot cocoa.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Jefferson tore down the street, clumsily sidestepping anyone who happened to be in his way. Soon the hospital came into view, and he veered towards it. He ran through the door and went to the front desk. "Paige Kingsley," he said breathlessly. "Where is she?"

"She's still in the emergency room," the receptionist said.

The door crashed open, and Emma Swan stood there, out of breath. "Jefferson," she said. "She'll be fine."

"I can direct you to the waiting room," the receptionist added, looked at the two. Emma nodded and took hold of Jefferson's arm, leading him after the receptionist. She opened the door to the waiting room and let them inside, before quietly shutting it behind them.

Emma looked up and saw Henry sitting in one of the chairs. "Emma!" he cried and hopped out of the chair, running towards his mother and wrapping her in a hug. She heard his faint tears, and put her arms around him as well. _Great, _she thought. _Another crying person I have to deal with. _

She led Henry over to a chair and set him down. Jefferson had already found a seat in a corner of the room. "Are you both okay?" Emma asked, not expecting them to answer. Sighing, she sat down. "I can't expect either of you to be happy or positive right now. But trust me when I say she'll be fine." Emma whispered the next part to herself, "If happy endings really do exist, she'll be fine." How she wanted to believe that the curse was real, that magic existed, that happy endings happened, and that dreams came true. But Emma had grown up in a different world, and no matter how much wishing she did, she couldn't make herself believe it.

_But maybe they can… _Emma thought as she glanced over at Henry and Jefferson. Both seemed to be in their own little world, consumed by their sorrow. Henry had his knees pulled up to cover his face as he shed silent tears. Jefferson was quiet, as he took deep breathes and his foot tapped impatiently against the dirty carpet. "How long can it possibly take?" he asked himself, biting down hard on his lip. "How much longer do they need?" His hands reached up and twisted in his scarf, and he nervously yanked at it.

"Jefferson?" Emma asked, walking towards him. "Are you okay?" She quickly reached out and grabbed his hand, trying to pull them away from his neck. Emma tugged hard enough and pulled the scarf away from his neck. She gasped and froze in place as she saw the scar. "What the hell is that?" she asked.

Henry got up from his chair and walked over to see Emma's reaction. She reached up and traced her fingers over the scar. "This is a scar? How did you get it?" Emma reached around to the back of his neck and hesitantly touched the rough scar tissue. She looked at Henry in shock, and then she glanced back at Jefferson. "It's all around your neck. How is it all around your neck? It's impossible," Emma said, her eyes widening by the second. "It's not possible. How is it possible?"

"You can see it?" Jefferson asked.

"Of course I can see it," Emma said. "Wait, is this about the curse?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah. You believe now, don't you?"

Emma sighed, placing her hand on her forehead. "I never said that. I-I… can't believe. I just can't," she said, hurrying out of the waiting room, wishing to clear her head. When the door shut, a silence took over.

Henry stood in the center of the room, his eyes fixed on the door, hoping that Emma would come back and change her mind. His eyes snapped over to Jefferson as he heard him begin to sob.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked, sitting down in the chair beside him.

"Emma doesn't believe. It's too late. I'll never have my Grace back. She'll probably die, and I'll never see her again. She won't remember anything. She'll only ever know me as Jefferson," he said, wiping at his eyes.

"Jefferson, don't say that," Henry instructed. "She'll be fine. And Emma will break the curse. Also, where's your scarf?"

"Emma has it," he said, as Dr. Whale opened the door.

"You can come in now," he said.

"Is she okay?" Jefferson asked, standing up.

"She's in a coma right now, but we expect she will make a full recovery."

Jefferson hurried to Paige's bedside and gently took her hand. "My Grace," he whispered, looking down at her, all covered in bandages. "You'll be okay. I won't let anyone hurt you."

Henry came around to the other side of the bed and sat down in a chair. "She's fine," he said, relieved. "She's alive."

Jefferson nodded. "Told you," someone said, and they both looked up to see Emma standing there. "Sorry I stormed out like that." The two shrugged.

Dr. Whale came over to Paige's bed. "She'll be fine," he said, and then glanced curiously at Jefferson. "Don't you generally wear a scarf?"

"Yes," Jefferson said. "Why?"

"Just wondering," Dr. Whale said, and was about to turn away when Emma interrupted.

"You mean you can't see this?" she asked incredulously, pointing at Jefferson's prominent scar.

"See what?" he asked, squinting. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary."

"The scar. Can't you see the scar?"

"Not at all Miss Swan, it seems like you're seeing things. I would prescribe have a long rest," he said, smiling slightly and walking away.

"He couldn't see it," Emma said, looking at Henry and Jefferson. "Why?"

"Because you believe in the curse. You can break it, you believe. Whale doesn't," Henry said, smiling widely. "You believe!"

Emma sighed and handed Jefferson his scarf, which she had taken with her when she had stormed out. He took it and wrapped it around his neck. "Fine. I believe. What do I do now?" she asked.

"You save my daughter," Jefferson said, gripping the arms of his chair.

"I don't know how to do that," she said, looking at him.

"Well find out. You're the _savior. _You're supposed to know this," he cried, looking like a deer in the headlights. "You're supposed to save us all."

Emma shook her head, as she began to pace. "You're the one who travels through hats. Why don't you use your magic to do it?"

"Because I don't have any," he said, getting up out of his seat and walking towards her. "A hat without magic is just a hat. It can't get me anywhere. It couldn't get me out of Wonderland and it couldn't get me out of Storybrooke. It definitely can't bring Grace back," Jefferson said, gripping her wrist.

Dr. Whale rushed over, and said, "I'm going to have to ask you two to leave. Sort this out and come back another time."

Emma nodded, and her and Jefferson walked out of the hospital and into the light evening rain. "I don't have any magic either," she said, glancing over at him and pulling her wrist out of his grasp. "The only one who will is Regina. She's the evil queen, right?"

Jefferson nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the pavement. Emma placed her hand on his shoulder and turned him the face her. "What is wrong with you?" she asked, lifted up his chin so he made eye contact. "You're acting pathetic."

"Pathetic?"

"Yes. You need to be strong for your daughter, instead of walking around like a whiney brat, okay? She'll be looking up to you, and it's your job not to screw it up. You're going to need to be there for her, and going around blaming people is not going to help."

"Fine," Jefferson said, looking up at the grey sky. "Do you want to get some dinner at Granny's?"

Emma nodded. "All right." They raced across the street just as the rain began to pour down.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N That chapter was shorter, but I still hope you liked it. Paige will probably be out for a few more chapters.**

**Please review.**


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

"Grown up's are weird," Henry whispered to Paige as Jefferson and Emma were directed out of the hospital by Dr. Whale. "But they both want to help you. I guess that makes up for it." He sighed, and grabbed onto her hand. "I can read you stories, if you want. I'll bring my book next time, and I'll tell you about the progress on the curse. Emma believes. Jefferson did it."

"Henry," a voice said, and the boy turned to see it was Dr. Whale. "The hospital will be closing for the night, and you should be heading home."

"All right," Henry said, and kissed Paige's hand gently. Dr. Whale gave him a small smile before letting him pass. Henry took small, slow steps away from Paige's bedside, tears growing in his eyes.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"You two are back?" Ruby asked happily as Jefferson and Emma entered the diner.

"Sorry about the hot cocoa earlier," Emma said, while they took a seat at the counter.

"It's alright," Ruby replied, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen. "Now what would you both like?"

Emma told her, "I'll have a cup of coffee and a grilled cheese sandwich."

"And you?" Ruby asked Jefferson. He sat silently, staring off into space.

"Jefferson?" Emma said, nudging him. He snapped back to life.

"What?"

"What do you want?" she told him.

"I'll have the same as her, except with tea," he said, looking at Ruby.

"She's getting grilled cheese. Is that alright?" Ruby asked, smiling. Jefferson nodded, and so did Ruby as she went back to the kitchen to start on their order.

The bell rang above the door and Mary Margaret and a man entered. "Oh hi Emma," Mary Margaret said, her and the man coming to sit by them. "Who's this?"

"Jefferson," Emma replied, and shook her head at Mary Margaret, who raised her eyebrows. "This is Mary Margaret and…"

"David," she said.

"Nice to meet you both," David said, waving slightly with one hand.

Jefferson leaned towards Emma and whispered, "They're your parents."

"Don't be stupid," she replied, turning back to look at David and Mary Margaret. "They're my same age."

"That's your curse," Jefferson said, the smile obvious in his voice. "To be the same age as your parents."

Emma couldn't help but laugh. "Shut up," she said, jokingly.

Mary Margaret and David stared at them awhile before turning to face Ruby when she came to take their order. "They're becoming close, aren't they?" the waitress said, smiling as she glanced at the two.

"Yes they are," Mary Margaret responded, grinning, before reciting her order to Ruby.

. . . . . . . . . . .

_I raced through the woods, ignoring as my dress snagged on the branches. I had to get away, that was the only thought on my mind. I jumped over a log, and soon I could hear someone running after me._

_ I could feel a shriek rising in my throat as I sped up. "Grace!" A familiar voice called and I whirled around to find Jefferson there._

_ "Papa!" I cried, rushing into his arms._

_ "What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked, sitting down on a log and cradling me in his arms._

_ "I heard a twig snap, and I didn't know what it was, so I got scared and ran," I explained, as I began to cry. "I should have waited for you. I'm sorry."_

_ "It's alright. I shouldn't have left you," Jefferson whispered, laying a kiss on my forehead. "Let's promise to stick together from now on."_

_ I stuck out my hand and said, "I promise."_

_ "So do I," Jefferson smiled as he wiped away my tears with one hand and shook my hand with the other. We stood up and walked deeper into the forest._

. . . . . . . . . . .

Jefferson stepped into Mr. Gold's pawnshop. "Ah, Mr. Maddigan," the man said.

"Let's not play games," Jefferson said, before quickly adding, "Rumpel."

"So, you're coming as the Hatter?" he asked.

Jefferson sighed. "I want to know what sort of favor you want."

"Why would you owe me a favor?" Mr. Gold asked, though he knew the answer.

"You want me to quote what you said? Really?" Gold nodded. "Fine. I owe you a favor because you're always 'cleaning up my mess'."

"Yes. Now I remember," Gold said, and Jefferson rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure I know what I want yet." He began to pace as he thought, and Jefferson tapped his foot. "I think I know now."

"What is it?" Jefferson asked, placing his hands on the counter.

"A piece of Miss Swan's hair."

Jefferson drew his eyebrows together. "Why would you want that?"

"That's my business, not yours," Mr. Gold said. "Anyways, that shouldn't be too hard for you to obtain, considering your relationship with Miss Swan."

"Not like that," Jefferson said, exasperatedly. "Why does everyone think that?"

Mr. Gold shrugged. "Anyways, can you get it or not?"

"I can," Jefferson replied, removing his hands from the counter. "I'll get it for you. You can count on it." He left the shop, and the door shut quietly behind him.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Henry opened up the door and saw Regina sitting in an armchair. "Oh Henry!" she cried, coming to hug him. "I heard about Paige."

"It's alright. She'll be fine," he replied, as Regina released him. She offered him a comforting smile, and Henry snapped, "You don't think it's true, do you?"

"What do you mean, sweetheart?"

"It's all your fault," he said. "You've cursed them. If it wasn't for the curse, Paige would be with her dad and she wouldn't be in a coma right now."

"I don't see how any of this is remotely my fault," Regina said, not even bothering to deny the existence of the curse.

"You're the one who cast the curse, and if anything happens to Paige, it'll be your fault," Henry said, running up the stairs. Once he reached his bedroom, he shut the door and locked it, falling onto his bed in despair. It seemed hopeless now, breaking the curse. Emma believed, but she had said she knew nothing about how to break the curse. _She'll find a way, _Henry told himself. _It's her destiny._

Henry pulled his sheets off of his bed and tied them into a long strand. He hid it under his bed and climbed under his comforter, pretending to sleep.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Emma organized the papers into a pile on her desk, and in response to the sound of footsteps, her head snapped up. "Sorry to scare you," Jefferson said, leaning against the doorframe.

"You didn't really scare me," Emma replied, happy to see him, though despite her best wishes.

Jefferson crossed the floor until he was standing in front of her desk. "You know me from when I was in jail, so I want you to meet me just as myself." He stuck out his hand, "Nice to meet you. Miss Swan. I'm Jefferson."

"Pleasure to meet you," she replied, shaking his hand. With the smile on her face, Jefferson began to feel guilty about what he was going to do. He didn't know why Rumpel needed her hair, but he was sure it wasn't going to end well for anyone, especially the blonde standing before him.

Jefferson sighed and said, "I guess I should tell you a little bit about myself." Meeting Emma's expectant stare, he continued by saying, "I make hats, and I like tea, and story books, and maps." With each fact, he took a small step towards her, until her head was leaned at an angle, looking up at him.

"I've caught on with the tea part," Emma told him, smiling. Jefferson placed his hands on her shoulders, and felt her instantly stiffen.

"Don't worry, princess," he murmured, his green eyes boring into hers with a mix of menace and wistfulness. With a rough jerk of his arms he twisted her body around and forced her onto the desk, clapping his hand over her mouth to smother her shriek.

Through his hands, he heard her say, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I won't hurt you," Jefferson said, pulling the scissors out of his jacket pocket as she struggled. "I'm just holding up my end of the deal." With a quick snip, he chopped off jagged piece of her hair. He placed the scissors and the hair in his pocket before releasing her.

Emma whirled around and screamed, "What the hell was that for?" Before Jefferson had the chance to respond, she planted a hard slap on his cheek.

"I was just holding up my end of the deal," he said, wincing as he rubbed the spot where her hand had landed.

"What deal?" she asked, going around to the other side of her desk, creating space between the two of them.

"The deal with Gold," he explained. "He needed your hair. I got it."

Emma furrowed her eyebrows. "Why does he need _my _hair."

Jefferson shrugged in response. "He wouldn't tell me. Probably for some potion or spell."

"That's why you came to see me," she said, her voice low. "That's why, right?"

"Yeah. Why else would I come by?" he asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Emma shook her head, walking to the window, then whirling back around to face him. "You're clueless. Just get out."

"Emma," Jefferson started, guilt overtaking him, "I'm sorry."

"Just go!" she cried, sitting down at her desk. He quickly exited as Emma bit her lip, blinking away tears.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N That's the chapter. I hope you all didn't really expect that. The big section in italics is Paige having visions while she's in her coma. I'm trying to keep from making it a Mad Swan, but I somehow couldn't, so hopefully that last section will cool them off for a while.**

**Please review.**


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Henry waited for the lights to flip off downstairs before tossing his string of blankets out the window. He climbed down quickly and thought carefully about where to go. He decided to head off in the direction of Mary Margaret's apartment, wandering through town. He entered the apartment building, warming himself frantically after the chilly weather he had just encountered. He ran up the steps and knocked on the door, waiting for an answer.

After a minute or two Mary Margaret opened the door. "Henry? What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Emma. Is she here?" he asked as Mary Margaret stood aside so he could enter.

Mary Margaret shook her head. "She called and said she would work late. She sounded sad. I was just going to go down now to check on her. Do you want to come too?"

Henry nodded as they both exited the apartment and the kindly schoolteacher closed and locked the door behind them. They exited the building and were greeted by the bitter wind. "Why are you still up anyways?" Mary Margaret asked, raising her eyebrows. "You _do _have school tomorrow."

Henry shrugged. "I couldn't sleep well. Besides, the last time I saw Emma she wasn't in a good mood."

"Doesn't seem like she will be now, either," Mary Margaret remarked as they came to the door of the police station. She pushed open the door, and warned Henry to keep quiet. "You stay out here. If she's in a mood to see you, I'll call you in. If I don't call you after twenty minutes, go home. Okay?"

Henry nodded. "All right," he said, leaning against the wall.

Mary Margaret entered the building, shutting the door cautiously behind her, as she walked towards the light coming from Emma's office. "Emma?" she asked, as she entered the room. Papers were thrown across the room. The light that sat on the desk was on and cast shadows across the walls and into the empty cell. Mary Margaret walked further into the room and heard muffled tears. She crouched down beside the desk and saw Emma sitting beneath it, her knees pulled up to her chest.

"Oh Emma!" she cried, taking in her friend's tears. "What's wrong?"

Emma shook her head as she convulsed into another fit of tears.

"Guy troubles?" she asked, scooting closer to Emma. "Is it Jefferson?"

She nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat. "Sorry you have to see me cry."

"It's all right," Mary Margaret said. "I've seen plenty of people cry. It happens to everyone. We don't have to talk about it later, if you don't want to."

"Thanks," Emma said, wiping her eyes as she leaned her head against the desk.

"Now how about you tell me what happened," the teacher said, getting comfortable on the floor, with her elbow resting on swivel chair.

Emma nodded. "I was organizing my papers," she began, gesturing to the papers strewed across the floor. "And Jefferson came in. I was happy to see him, but I didn't want to be. We had become friends while he was in jail, so it wasn't that weird for him to come by. He introduced himself, as himself, not the Jefferson from in jail." Mary Margaret nodded. "He told me about himself; that he liked tea, and storybooks, and hats, a maps. He put his hands on my shoulders." At this point in the story, Emma's breath hitched in her throat as she looked down at her hands.

"You thought…" Mary Margaret began, but trailed off as Emma decided to continue.

"Yes. I did think that. But then, he jerked me around and leaned me over the table, and covered my mouth with his hand." Mary Margaret's eyes widened as she considered the implications, but Emma didn't seem to realize them, so she kept quiet. "He said stuff like 'Don't worry, princess' and 'I'm just holding up my end of the deal'. I think the deal is about Mr. Gold…" she paused, and then said, "He took out a pair of scissors, and cut off a piece of my hair." Emma turned her head to reveal the considerable chunk that was missing.

"Oh my god," Mary Margaret said, looking at it in surprise.

"But the worst part is that he didn't even realize that I… you know…"

"That you liked him?" Mary Margaret supplied, and Emma curtly nodded. "Well don't worry about him. Just forget about him."

"I can't do that!" she cried. "After you like someone, you can't just forget about them. You know that."

"Actually I don't," Mary Margaret said, blushing slightly. "It seems like you've been in more relationships than I have."

"Failed ones," Emma shot back bitterly, climbing out from under the desk and standing up.

Mary Margaret got up and said, "Let's not leave here on a sour note." Smiling lightly, she pulled Emma into a tight hug. "If you really care about him, give him another chance. You might regret it, but maybe he'll pull through. In the meantime, I'm going to kick Gold's ass." Emma snorted in response, and hugged Mary Margaret back, despite every corner of her brain screaming at her to stop, to push her away, to storm out.

"Thank you, Mary Margaret," Emma said, smiling slightly.

As they moved towards the door, Mary Margaret remarked, "I hope Henry went home."

"Why was he here?"

"He came to my apartment to see you and came down here to see you," Mary Margaret explained, as they exited the police station and found Henry hunched against the building.

"Henry!" Emma cried. "You need to get home. What will your mother think?"

"I just wanted to know what was wrong," he said, standing up and stretching his tired limbs. "What was wrong, anyways?"

Emma and Mary Margaret exchanged and anxious glance, and the teacher said, "Just girl stuff." That response definitely turned Henry off the subject and he quickly said, "Ok, can you take me home now?"

Once he had started ahead of them, Emma tossed Mary Margaret a thankful smile. "Nice save."

"Thanks," Mary Margaret said, pulling her cardigan closer around her slight form. "Are you going to see Jefferson again?"

Emma let out a large breathe, before saying, "I'll wait a few days."

"That's the best thing to do," she muttered, careful so that Henry couldn't hear them. Emma nodded as they arrived in front of the mayor's house to see Henry's sheets hanging out the window.

"Really, Henry?" Emma whispered, just loud enough so he could hear it.

"Yeah," he said. "Sorry?"

Emma sighed. "Goodnight. I love you." She pulled him into a tight hug and Henry responded, "I love you too." He climbed back up through his window and pulled in his string of sheets, gently shutting the window and closing the thick blinds.

Emma and Mary Margaret turned around and headed back to the apartment in a comfortable silence.

. . . . . . . . . . .

_He gripped her hand, pulling her through the looking glass and watching the Queen's guards smash into it, trying to break through it, but to no avail. He laughed as he pulled me up off the marble floor. "Are you all right, Grace?"_

_ "I'm fine, papa," I said, happily, setting my feet onto the ground. "That was rather exciting, wasn't it?"_

_ "Yes it was," he said, turning to look at all the other doors. I realized how in my mind, I kept referring to him as 'he', instead of 'Jefferson' or 'papa'. Was he either of those, or was he right now in this stage of ambiguity? Or maybe he was nobody, and I was going mad, creating creatures to keep me company in this strange land._

_ I was faintly aware that a much larger version of myself than featured in the vision could not control her limbs, as they were frozen in place. _

_ "Where do you want to go next?" he asked, gesturing to all the doors._

_ "Who are you?" I asked, ignoring his question._

_ "I'm your papa," he replied. "Did you hit your head?"_

_ I shook my head. "I just wanted to make sure, papa." _

_ Papa… that did fit._

. . . . . . . . . . .

The bell jingled as Mary Margaret burst into the pawnshop. "Are you trying to murder my little bell?" Mr. Gold asked with a smirk.

"What's the deal, Gold? Why did you need Emma's hair?" Mary Margaret asked angrily.

"That's my business, not yours or anybody else's. Did Miss Swan tell you about it?"

"Yes. And how Jefferson got it for you!"

"Oh," Mr. Gold said. "Did she tell you how he went about it?"

"He attacked her," Mary Margaret cried, slamming her hand down on the counter.

Mr. Gold opened his mouth to speak, but the bell rang and he said, "Jefferson. Nice to see you."

"Hello Mr. Gold, Miss Blanchard," he greeted, stepping into the shop.

"Don't act all formal to me," Mary Margaret challenged, refraining from strangling him.

Jefferson shot Mr. Gold a confused glance, to which he responded, "Emma told her."

"Oh," he said, suddenly apologetic. He took the tuft of hair and handed it to Mr. Gold. "Here you go. My end of the deal." Mr. Gold put the hair into a bag and into a drawer, which he promptly locked.

"Now you're coming with me," Mary Margaret said, as she grabbed onto Jefferson's jacket and dragged him towards the diner, determined to get answers.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N I hope you all liked that chapter. I so wanted them to go to the library and meet Belle, but then I realized that the curse hasn't been broken. That made me sad.**

**Please review.**


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

The diner was crowded and loud, full of its normal lunch customers, so Jefferson and Mary Margaret were able to settle in the back without much disturbance. "What do you want?" Jefferson asked as Mary Margaret sat down across from him.

"I want answers," she stated, and as he waited for her to elaborate, she said, "I want to know why you did it."

Jefferson shrugged, making a thoughtful expression, before saying, "I took her hair because Gold asked me to. In order to hold up my end of the deal."

"What deal?" Mary Margaret asked.

"You're getting yourself mixed up in some pretty shifty stuff," he mused, laughing, but she cut in, saying, "I can take care of myself."

Ruby approached to their table, and asked, "Can I get you anything?"

"Well-" Jefferson began, but Mary Margaret interrupted him by saying, "No thanks Ruby, we're fine." She nodded, looking curiously between them, but moved to help other customers.

"That was rude," Jefferson said with a smirk.

"I get it, you're obsessed with tea. I don't really care right now. What was the deal about?"

His eyes widened in surprise at her attitude, but he said, "Gold was sick of always cleaning up my mess, so I had to make it up to him."

Mary Margaret furrowed her eyebrows. "How is he always cleaning up your mess?"

"I take it you're not a believer," he said.

"Is this about Henry's curse?" When Jefferson nodded, Mary Margaret muttered, "I knew you were mad."

He smiled, and said, "All right, next question."

She thought a bit, and said, "What did Emma say after you took her hair?"

"Well after the initial shock and her asking me what the hell the whole thing was about, she said something like, 'That's the only reason you came, right?' I said yes, and asked 'why else would I stop by?'"

At this, Mary Margaret's head fell into her hands. "Idiot."

"What?"

"Never mind. Just tell me the rest and then I'll explain."

"Okay," Jefferson said slowly, eyeing her curiously. "She said I was clueless, and that I had to go, which I did. But don't think I didn't feel bad. I did!"

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes. "Don't defend yourself to me. Do that to Emma, later. Now do you want me to explain?" He eagerly nodded, and she continued, "Emma loves you."

"No, no. She can't," Jefferson said frantically, his eyes widening as if he was trapped.

"But she does," she said seriously. "When you grabbed her shoulders, she thought you were going to kiss her. She thought that's why you showed up, to tell her you loved her. Once you left, I found her there, crying."

"I've never seen Emma cry."

"Neither had I, until that night," Mary Margaret said, looking down at her hands. "And she wants to give you another chance. Do you love her?"

Jefferson shrugged. "I've always had trouble loving anyone. Except for Grace."

"Well, to go along with your little fairy tale. You must have loved before, in order for Grace to come along," Mary Margaret stated, feeling foolish for having referenced Henry's storybook.

Jefferson immediately averted his eyes and looked up at the ticking wall clock. "That ended badly."

"And it will end badly for you if you don't at least give Emma a chance. She still loves you, even after you attacked her. That's devotion. And if you can win her heart without even trying, then she'll definitely be able to win yours. Okay?"

"I'll give it a shot," he said.

Mary Margaret stood up and nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem," Jefferson muttered as she turned to leave. He faintly heard the door shut and he stood up to go and visit Paige.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Jefferson walked into the hospital and then went to the room where Paige was. He had visited her many times, so he was sure he would be able to find the exact place with his eyes closed. He entered to find Paige's father leaning over her bedside, and suddenly Jefferson felt anger chilling him and blurring his vision.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, and Paige's father straightened up and turned to look at him.

"I am her father. That's why."

"You were the one who was driving. You did this to her," Jefferson said, slowly walking towards the man.

"I will not stand here and be falsely accused," he said, and went to push past Jefferson, who grabbed him tightly by his arm.

"You bastard," he hissed, and suddenly a voice behind him shouted, "Stop it, Jefferson!"

Emma walked over to him and pried his hands off of the other man, saying, "I am so sorry." Once Paige's father had rushed from the room, she said, "What was that about?"

"He was driving. He did this to her."

"That's no reason to threaten him," Emma said, moving to go and stand by Paige's bed.

"Emma?" Jefferson spoke unsurely, not moving from his spot.

"What?"

He took this as his cue to move forward, and he walked over to stand beside her, before saying, "I'm sorry about last night. It was stupid."

She looked away. "Yes it was," she agreed, barely above a whisper.

"And I'm sorry I hurt you, and scared you. And I'm sorry for being clueless."

She turned to look at him. "Then you know."

"That you like me? Yeah." He stared down at his shoes, feeling like a child.

"Oh," Emma replied, for lack of anything better to say.

"I'm just not very good at loving anyone. I loved Grace's mother, but that was a long time ago. And it ended badly."

"What happened?" Emma asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I killed her," Jefferson muttered. "It was an accident, but I did it."

"Are you saying that you like me? Or are you giving me a death threat?" Emma asked.

"Neither yet," he said, stepping away. "But I'll give myself a chance, as long as you will, too."

"I'll give you a chance," she said. "But don't cut off my hair this time." Emma almost laughed as she realized that it was not at all a joke.

"I won't. Do you maybe want to go to the diner sometime?" Jefferson asked, nervously.

Emma nodded. "Of course. Tonight at six?"

He nodded in the affirmative, and was about to say something when Paige murmured, "Papa…"

"Whale?" Emma called. "She's talking!"

. . . . . . . . . . .

_I sat at a small table in our cottage as Papa worked on making the soup for dinner. I sipped tea out of a tiny cup and asked Papa, "Was mama nice?"_

_ "Yes," he replied, stirring the soup._

_ "Was she pretty?" He nodded, and I inquired, "What did she look like?"_

_ "She had blond hair, and blue eyes, and she had the kindest smile. You look like her," he remarked, and I could hear a deep, nostalgic sadness in his voice._

_ "Sorry I brought it up," I muttered._

_ "Don't feel sorry," Papa said. "I should tell you more about her."_

_ "What was her name?" I asked, curiosity fueling me to ask more questions._

_ "Alice," he said, enunciating every syllable of the name with loving care and tenderness._

_ "Where did you meet her?"_

_ "Wonderland."_

_ "Where is she?"_

_ "Wonderland."_

_ "How did you get to Wonderland?"_

_ "Wonderland is very close by," Papa said, and I could tell he was lying, because I knew from prior knowledge that Wonderland could only be reached through the hat. But then again, the hat was in that box, I thought, looking at the trunk in the corner._

_ Then the world began to spin and I became very aware of myself as I breathed in and out, slowly and painfully. I heard two foggy voices._

_ "Do you maybe want to go to the diner sometime?"_

_ Papa._

_ Papa._

_ Papa…_

. . . . . . . . . . .

My eyes struggled to open, and once they were, my vision remained blurred. I could barely make out my Papa's face and a figure with golden hair that stood next to him. "Papa," I choked out, my voice hoarse. "Mama?"

"What did she just say?" a shocked voice asked, and I recognized that it belonged to the blonde haired woman, who sprang away from my bedside. I noticed Dr. Whale looming over me and checking my pulse.

"She's waking up," he said. _Isn't that sort of obvious? _I thought.

"Grace?" Papa asked, and I could feel my hand slipping into his. I heard the door shut, and could no longer see the golden haired woman, so I assumed that it was her who had left.

I rapidly blinked my eyes to focus them and saw Papa's smile. "Yes Papa. It's me," I said, and was engulfed in a hug.

"I missed you so much," he whispered.

"I missed you too," I said, struggling to wrap my arms around his neck. Once he released me, I fell back against the pillow in exhaustion.

Dr. Whale checked my pulse again, and said, "Your pulse is normal. But you'll have to stay here and rest for a few days."

I wrinkled my nose at the thought, but realizing just how tired I really was, I figured it was the best idea. "Where's Emma?" I asked once Dr. Whale had moved away from my bed.

"Well, you called her mama an she fled," Papa explained, sitting down in a chair. "Why did you call her that?"

"I had visions when I was asleep," I explained. "I had one where you told me what Mama looked like. At first I only saw Emma's hair, so I guess that's why I said it."

"I told you about Alice?" he asked, bewildered.

I nodded. "And that's why you said I couldn't be Alice. Because there was already one, and she was my mother."

Papa looked out the window, biting his lip. "Yeah. That's why."

"You don't have to tell me what happened to her," I told him.

"Thanks," Papa replied, smiling slightly. "There will be plenty of time for that later." He stood up, and said, "Grace, I have to go now." When I began to protest, he cut me off, saying, "I'll be back soon."

"That's what you said last time," I muttered bitterly, and looked up to see his hurt face. "Oh Papa! I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," he rushed, and he hurriedly left the hospital.

I fell back on my pillow, gritting my teeth to keep from crying.

_Now look what you've done…_

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N There's the chapter. Paige is up. She called Jefferson papa. And Emma mama (awkward…). So yeah.**

**Please review.**

**And I hope you are all having a wonderful Thanksgiving. Or if you don't celebrate it, I hope you are having an amazing day.**


	21. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Jefferson climbed up the steps to Regina's office, and opened the door to find her sitting at her desk. "Jefferson," she greeted politely, standing from her desk.

"Regina," he replied, walking towards her desk. "And what do you need from me?"

"A portal," she said. "You need to open up a portal with your hat."

"For what purpose?" he asked as she stood up from her desk and walked to the window.

"I need something. Something that only you can get." Regina turned from the window. "You can do it, can't you?"  
"Yes," Jefferson replied. "But I'll need my hat."

"And I have it," she said and walked to her desk. Reaching under it, she pulled out the hatbox, a smile growing on her face. She opened it up and gasped, her eyes frozen open in horror.

"What is it?" Jefferson asked, leaning over to look into the box. The box was empty, only the crushed velvet remained that signified where the hat had previously sat. "It's gone. Someone stole it."

"And I know who is responsible," Regina hissed, slamming the box down onto the table. She looked up to meet Jefferson's questioning glance. "Your brat, Grace, and my little Henry."

"It could be anywhere," Jefferson said quietly.

"Well you'll have to look. And I'll work on another plan," Regina said, beckoning for him to leave. She looked out her window, and saw him cross the street.

Regina rushed out to her garden, and picked a ripe, crisp apple from a tree. "Perfect," she whispered, as she left her property and walked towards the pawnshop.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Hi Henry," I said, beaming as he approached my bedside.

He sat down next to me. "Hi Paige. I heard you were up. I missed you."

"I missed you too. But I have some news regarding the curse."

"What is it?" Henry asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"Alice was my mama. And I thought she was Emma," I said slowly.

"How did you think Emma was your mom?" Henry asked, drawing together his eyebrows.

I recalled the incident, and then said, "At first, I only saw her hair, and I had just had a vision where Papa told me that Mama had blond hair."

"Oh," Henry said. "Who was your mother in the book?"

"Alice," I said, enunciating each syllable as Papa had done in the vision. I looked up and took in Henry's shocked expression. "I missed you," I whispered, reaching out to take his hand.

"Missed you too," he muttered. Leaning back against his chair. "Any other visions?"

"I don't remember," I said, furrowing my eyebrows. "I'll have to rest a bit. Then I'll remember."

"Yeah," Henry said. "Is the hat safe?"

"It's in my room. Why?" I asked.

"I overheard my mom and Jefferson talking about it," he explained. "They know it's missing."

"You mean Papa's mixed up in that again?" I asked.

"Maybe," Henry admitted. "But he's not a bad guy."

I nodded, hoping it was true. "Do you know how Emma will break the curse?"

"No idea," he said. "But it has to be soon, if you are completely believing now. You called Jefferson 'papa', right?"

I nodded again. "So she'll break the curse soon?"

"You can bet on it."

. . . . . . . . . . .

The bell rang as Regina entered the pawnshop, the apple clenched in her hand. "Ah, your Majesty," Mr. Gold said, keeping his eyes trained on his paperwork as she walked towards the counter. "And how may I help you?"

"I need a sleeping potion," Regina said, setting the apple down on the counter.

"For Miss Swan, I presume," he said, pulling a large trunk out from under his desk.

"Yes, of course," she replied, walking to the counter and peeking into the trunk. "Where'd you get this one?" Regina asked, holding up a vial full of blue potion with a strand of gold twisting inside it.

"Miss Swan," Mr. Gold replied, taking it from her hand. "Jefferson got a piece of her hair for me."

"Jefferson?" Regina asked, and then shook off her shock and inquired, "And what does the potion do?"

"It is a potion of strength and courage," Mr. Gold explained. "Whom ever drinks it gets immediate bravery and invincibility."

"And why would you need that? Because of your little Belle?" Regina mocked, her red lips curving up in a smirk.

"Do you want the potion or not?" Gold asked, his fists clenching. "Wait, she's alive?"

Regina ignored his second question and replied, "Yes I do, Rumple. Now hand it over."

He extended the sleeping potion to her, and when Regina reached to take it, he sharply pulled his hand away. He laughed as she yanked it out of his grasp. "Good luck finding your beauty." His fists clenched and he slammed them down on the counter, rattling the trinkets lining the shelves. "You can't hit me Rumple. You're still too much of a coward."

Regina swept out of the pawnshop, stuffing the potion into her pocket, as the door shut behind her. Mr. Gold went and locked the door, turning the sign to read 'closed'. He sat down in a stool, and let the long-held tears slide down his face.

. . . . . . . . . . .

I looked up and saw Jefferson walking towards my bed. "Hi Papa," I told him, smiling.

"Hi Grace," he said, sitting down on a stool.

"Why were you talking to Regina about the hat?" I asked.

He looked confused. "Where did you hear that?"

"Henry told me. Papa, I don't like it when you help her," I pleaded. "Last time you helped her, we were separated. I don't want to lose you again." I reached up and wiped the tears that threatened to fall.

Papa looked conflicted, as he looked down at me. "All right, Grace. You're right. We've lost enough time, I won't screw it up again."

"Thank you," I whispered, and felt myself sinking into the bed. "Can you stay until I fall asleep?"

"Of course," he said, brushing the strands of hair out of my face. "I'll be here when you wake up, if you want."

"I'd like that," I told him, yawning and rolling over onto my side. I felt my eyelids growing heavy and sleep setting in.

"Goodnight, Grace," Papa said, smiling at me from his chair.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Emma saw Paige lying asleep in her hospital and Jefferson sitting beside her, keeping a constant vigil. "Hi Jefferson," she greeted, and his eyes snapped up to meet hers.

"Hi," he said, waving slightly.

"I'm sorry I ran out earlier," she said, sitting down in a chair beside him. "I don't like to be forced into things, or to feel trapped. I know that sounds ridiculous."

"It doesn't sound ridiculous," Jefferson replied. "And no need to apologize."

Emma smiled, and tapped his hand lightly. She could feel him stiffen at the contact. "So what? You can get in other people's faces, but someone taps you and you freak out?" She laughed slightly, and so did he.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Things have been different lately."

"What's been so different?" Emma asked.

"Magic. There's magic here," Jefferson said, and when Emma beckoned him to continue, he elaborated, "In your hair there must have been some sort of magic, that's why Rumple needed it. Regina wanted me to open a portal for her, but Grace and Henry stole my hat."

"That certainly is different," Emma said, smiling.

"Emma?" Jefferson asked uncertainly.

"Yes?"

"Well, after the hospital visiting hours close, do you want to go to the diner? I believe I owe you dinner."

"I'd like to," she replied. Emma looked over at Jefferson as his hand came to rest over hers. The two then sat in silence, watching Paige's gently sleeping form.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N This chapter is kind of short, but in a day or two I'll have another, hopefully longer chapter. **

**Please review.**


	22. Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Regina cut the apple carefully; tossing the slices into the caramel mixture that was heating on the stove. She poured the mixture into the crust that she had previously prepared and slid it into the oven.

Regina walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, finding Henry sitting on the couch with his storybook open on his lap. "Hi Henry," she said, sitting down beside him. "What are you reading?"

"I'm reading about the Mad Hatter," he replied, looking at her purposefully. "About _Jefferson_. The Evil Queen, named _Regina_, left him in Wonderland."

"That's very interesting," she said, ignoring his stare. "How does it end?"

"Unhappily," Henry said, flipping to another story. The picture featured a beautiful brown-haired woman in a blue dress with bright eyes to match. She was locked in a cell, and the Evil Queen was peering in at her through a slat in the door. "Belle."

"Oh. From Beauty and the Beast," Regina said.

"Except this story has no happy ending. You took it," he said, jumping up from his seat and slamming the book closed. "You stole all their happy endings." He rushed from the room as the timer on the stove went off.

Regina sighed and took the apple turnover out of the oven. She placed the poisonous delicacy in a Tupperware container, and murmured, "And I'm about to take another one." She pulled out a piece of paper, and struggled to come up with something that would trick Emma into believing the tart was harmless.

She pursed her lips, before writing in her most scrawled handwriting: _I'm expanding from just tea. Let me know what you think. –Jefferson_

With a smirk, she taped the note onto the container and headed towards the sheriff's office.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Emma stood up from her chair. "I have to go to the office to finish up some paperwork," she told Jefferson. "I'll see you at the diner."

"See you," he said, as she left the hospital and crossed the street to arrive at the police station. _Those are the perks of living in a small town, _she thought as she opened the door to her office and stepped inside. She sat down at her desk and reached for a pen, when her eyes lighted on a clear plastic container seated on the edge of her workspace.

"What the…" she trailed off as she picked it up and felt that the contents- which Emma deduced to be a turnover of some sort- were still warm. There was a note taped on the top, which she gently removed, not wanting to tear it.

Emma unfolded the small piece of paper and struggled to read the unruly scrawl that danced across it. Once she was able to make out what it said, Emma read aloud, _"_I'm expanding from just tea. Let me know what you think. Jefferson._"_

She furrowed her eyebrows. _I was with Jefferson just a few minutes ago, and this is still warm. _She took the dessert out of the container, and brought it to her nose and sniffed. _It doesn't smell out of the ordinary to me. Just one bite wouldn't hurt…_

With that thought in mind, Emma raised the turnover to her lips.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Henry walked through the streets of Storybrooke, his book tucked under his arm. He wandered aimlessly, deciding to visit Paige, then to visit Emma. He wasn't sure. This day felt different, far different than any other day, as there was an unsettling feeling in his stomach. Images of Snow White and Emma mingled in his head, and he saw them both cold on the ground, with apples clutched in their hands.

These thoughts made him steer towards the sheriff's office, and as he approached, his stomach began to churn. He rushed towards the station and pushed open the door. Henry saw Emma, the tart pulled to her lips. "No!" he cried and ran forward, knocking the pastry out of her hands. It skidded across the floor, some of its flaky crust littering the stone ground.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked.

Henry picked the turnover up off the ground, sniffing it once or twice. "It's _apple_, Emma. Why would you eat that?"

"Why is apple so important?" she asked, and Henry opened his storybook and showed her an image of Snow White, dead or at least asleep, with a red apple held between her delicate fingertips.

"The Queen gave it to you. It's poison!" Henry cried. "Don't eat it. You can't."

"Henry, I'm sure it's fine," Emma insisted, reaching out to take the turnover from him.

"No it's not," Henry said. "And if you don't believe, then maybe this will change your mind."

Henry took a bite out of it as Jefferson rushed into the office. "No," he said, but it was too late, as Henry collapsed onto the floor, the turnover flying out of his hand and landing at Jefferson's feet.

"Henry!" Emma cried, rushing to kneel by him. "Joke's over. Wake up, Henry. Please?" The last word was uttered desperately, as tears began to spring from her eyes. "Call the hospital, Jefferson," she ordered, not ripping her eyes from the fallen turnover by his feet. "This is all your fault."

"How is it my fault?" Jefferson asked, moving towards the phone and dialing the number.

"You gave me the tart. You made it!" she accused as she desperately tried to revive Henry. She looked down at him; how weak, how vulnerable he appeared.

Jefferson picked up the note that was now lying on Emma's desk. He instantly recognized the handwriting. "Regina," he muttered, as a receptionist's voice sounded on the other end.

"Hello?" the female voice asked. "What is your emergency?"

"Down at the police station. A boy collapsed," he said, looking down at Emma and Henry.

"We'll be right there," the woman said and she disconnected. Jefferson hung up the phone and slipped the note into his pocket.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Henry!" I cried, jumping out of my bed as I saw my friend being carried into the room on a stretcher. I found Emma and asked, "What happened?"

"He ate a poisonous tart," she said, and rushed quickly to his bedside as different monitors were attached to him.

"Grace," Papa's voice said, and I spun around and saw him standing nervously apart from the crowd.

"Papa!" I cried and rushed into his arms. "Will Henry be okay?"

"I'm sure of it, darling," he reassured. "And if not," he added in a whisper, "true love's kiss can break any curse."

We stood by the wall, Papa silently comforting me, as the doctors and nurses flocked around Henry's bedside. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against Papa's shoulder, when suddenly I heard the dreaded tone.

I looked up, and his heart monitor had flattened. "Papa? Is Henry…" I couldn't bring myself to finish; the word was so permanent. It just couldn't be true. _Dead. There, what are you so scared of? _

I ignored that, as I pulled Papa towards Henry's bedside, where Emma and Regina had already gathered.

"No," Emma said, breathlessly as tears slid down her face. She leaned over Henry's form. "I love you," she whispered, before pressing a light kiss against his forehead.

A feeling of electricity shot through me and knocked me off my feet as memories rushed into my head. Images of Papa tucking me in at night, of Regina locking me in a cell, of selling mushrooms at the market; they all mingled undisturbed by rude voices and a reasonable conscious. Other people in the room were having the same feeling of epiphany, as some embraced in recognition and others looked around them, confused by this new life. Henry sat up in his bed, and Emma pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Grace!" Papa said, lifting me up into a hug.

I could feel my tears soaking through the fabric of his jacket as I hugged him back. "I missed you so much, Papa. I-I love you."

"I love you too, Grace," he said, as he set me back down on the ground, and I saw that his eyes were red from tears.

A cloud suddenly passed over the room, and we rushed to the window. "What is that?" I asked, regarding the large purple cloud barreling towards the hospital and overtaking the rest of Storybrooke.

"Something bad," I heard Henry whisper as I squeezed my eyes shut, fearful of another curse that would take Papa from me again. We waited in silence for minutes of agonizing suspense, fearful that if we opened our eyes, we would find ourselves in a whole different world than the one we were in now.

Papa tapped me on the shoulder, and my eyes shot open. "What happened?" I asked, to all the people crowded by the window. "What did the purple smoke do?"

Only Regina responded, though I knew Papa could feel the same thing. She said, with her eyes glued to her hands and a malicious smile on her face, "It brought magic."

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N There's that chapter. It's longer, and the next one will be a lot longer, I hope. I'm shocked I got two chapters posted in a day. Let's try to make it three.**

**Please review.**


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

We ran in all directions as Regina raised her hands: a sure sign that she would soon practice magic. In the confusion, I felt sharp talons on my arms, and turned to see the face of the woman who used to be my mother. That was all that remained of the woman I once knew. She had the body of lion, with some harsh scales protruding from her skin. She had large wings and long, sharp claws coming from her large paws. She grabbed me with one paw and bounded towards the window. "Grace!" Papa cried, watching in shock and horror as my mother leapt out the window, the wind catching her wings as she soared towards our home.

"Let go of me!" I cried, desperately trying to free myself from her grasp. She landed in the forest and walked towards the house, still holding me in her grasp. My mother set me down on the porch and turned back to her normal form, tossing her hair as she climbed up the steps.

"Welcome home, dear," she said, grabbing me by the hand. When I resisted, she jerked me towards the home.

"You're not my mother!" I cried as the door shut behind me. "You're just the neighbor."

"You are mine," she insisted. "Your father left you. _He didn't want you!" _she shrieked and I noticed her hands turning to talons and tufts of hairs sprouting from her arms and legs.

"Okay," I said, taking a precautionary step away. She exhaled, and her exterior returned to normal. "Mother," I forced the word out to appease her. "Can I go to my room?"

"Of course, dear. I'll have dinner ready soon, and your father will definitely be joining us," she said sweetly, and I had a nauseating feeling that my 'father' would _be _dinner.

"All right," I said, feeling sick, as I sprinted up the steps. I shut my door quietly behind me and opened a box on my dresser that had the name _Alice_ written on it. I had opened it countless times before, and it had always been empty, so I desperately hoped that this time would be differently. I had never known why I had the box, but now I knew it was Mama's. I peered inside the wooden box and saw a silver pocket watch. I held it to my ear and heard no tick.

Shrugging, I pulled the top hat from under my bed. Hoping that _something_ would happen, I dropped the watch into Papa's hat and stepped back as it began to spin, emitting a purple mist. I debated my options as the mist filled the room and the hat spun faster and faster. _Maybe it'll take me to Papa,_ I thought, as I took one step closer to the hat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Papa standing at the window of his house, shaking his head frantically.

That was when I jumped, tumbling into the hat with my eyes clenched shut.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"No!" Jefferson cried as Grace jumped into the hat and the portal closed, leaving nothing but a battered top hat. He moved to his table, clenching his fists, wanting to throw it over, have a breakdown. _That won't help anything. It's not just you. It's the both of you, _he told himself, as he buried his head in his hands. He remembered with bitterness those broken years where he could hide behind a breakdown, and retreat into a tantrum when things got especially bad. He quickly exited his house, walking along the path towards Storybrooke.

"I need to find a way to get Grace back, just as I've always been doing," he told himself. "Except this time, I need to succeed." He entered the town to find it in disarray. People were posting signs up on a corkboard. _Missing: Pinocchio_, and the like.

"Are you guys looking for family members?" Jefferson asked, approaching the group.

"Yeah, not like you need to be _here_, Hatter. You have your daughter," a harsh voice replied.

"No, I don't," he yelled, grabbing the attention of many people lining the street. He could feel a breakdown coming, and he accepted it, shrinking to the ground as tears streamed down his face rapidly. "She's gone," he choked out. "My Grace."

He could feel a hand on his shoulder, pulling him up. "Jefferson. Where's Grace?"

"Wonderland," he murmured, his head falling to rest on her shoulder as her arms wrapped around him.

Emma looked at all the staring faces and dismissed them, saying, "Carry on with whatever you were doing." They looked back to their work, but glanced back at the two in the road. "Jefferson, it's okay. Come one," she said, walking him to the apartment.

Emma momentarily released Jefferson and unlocked the door, stepping inside to find Mary Margaret sitting on a stool. Emma saw to it that Jefferson found a seat on the couch and was then crushed in a hug. "Emma," she breathed, as the door was shoved open.

"Snow!" he cried, entering the apartment.

"Charming!"

"Emma?" he said incredulously, looking at his daughter.

"Emma," Snow White confirmed, as Charming wrapped the two women in a hug. "I've missed you both so much."

"Okay, okay," Emma said, breaking apart the hug. "Grace is gone."

Snow's eyes widened as she walked towards the man resting on the sofa. "Hatter? Where's you daughter?" she asked, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"She went through the hat," he choked out, wiping at his eyes. "I don't know what land she's in."

"How do we get her back?" Charming asked, coming to stand by his wife.

Jefferson shrugged. "I don't know."

"You're the portal jumper, Hatter," he said.

"Stop calling him Hatter!" Emma protested. "His _name _is _Jefferson_."

"Jefferson," Charming restarted, appeasing his daughter. "You're the portal jumper. Once you have an idea, I'll help."

"I need my hat first," Jefferson said. "And it's at the neighbor's house, and she's some sort of monster."

"A sphinx," Emma said as if in some trance. She snapped out of it and moved her eyes to look at them.

"What?" Snow asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"The face of a human, the body of a lion, with wings." When they still gave her a confused look, Emma shrugged, saying, "Greek myths."

"Well how do we defeat it?" Charming asked, sitting down on the sofa. "I could probably take it, if I had weapons."

"Hero type," Jefferson muttered, a smile playing at his lips.

"I'm the only one offering to do anything. She's _your_ daughter," he countered.

Snow put up her hands to silence the both of them. "Stop fighting. If you two are going to bicker like children, Emma and I will do it."

"No!" the two men cried at the same time, and quickly exchanged glances.

"Now that that's settled," Emma said, stuffing her hands into her pockets, "what the hell are we going to do?"

"We kill it," Charming said, "so he can get his hat."

"First, we'll need magic," Jefferson added. "Unless the hat already has some."

The four exchanged glances, wary of the task ahead of them.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Rumpelstiltskin walked across the street and pinned a sign on the corkboard. It read: _Missing: Belle, a.k.a Beauty. _It featured a quick sketch as well, of her brown hair curling around her shoulders and her piercing blue eyes. He smiled now. The potion had worked and magic was restored; he could already feel it rushing through him. He reached up and touched his hand to the poster, closing his eyes as he was flooded by memories of him and Belle in the Dark Castle.

"You'll find her soon," he murmured to himself, opening his eyes once more. He turned and retreated back to the pawnshop. As Rumpelstiltskin sat behind his desk, Red walked through the door. "Rumpelstiltskin," she greeted, looking over the things in the shop.

"Looking for your hood?" he asked, and her head snapped up.

"Have you seen it?" she inquired, looking desperate.

He shook his head. "No, I haven't," he said. "But I'll look out for it, if you'll look out for something for me."

"What is it?" she asked cautiously.

"A girl. Her name is Belle."

"I'll look," Red said.

"Thank you," he replied; grateful, but he refused to show it.

Red shrugged. "You're welcome. Just… find my hood." She turned sharply and left the shop.

. . . . . . . . . . .

The girl in the ragged white dress lifted her head as an unusual feeling passed over her. Memories flooded into her mind, of her father, of the queen, of her true love. Rumpelstiltskin.

She saw a chipped cup, and books, and a spinning wheel.

_Belle, _she thought, her mind wrapping easily around the name. _That's who I am. _She stood from her cot and walked to the door, peering out through the dark tinted window. Belle banged on it, anxious to get someone's attention, to be saved.

"Rumpelstiltskin!" she screamed, her fists knocking against the metal door. She shrunk to the floor and begged herself to think rationally.

_They'll know I'm here. Someone will rescue me._

. . . . . . . . . . .

I found myself in a circular room, with doors lining each wall. I easily recognized where I was from the storybook. _Which door to choose… _I mused, surveying my options. There was a green door with the word _Oz _written on it, there was a door covered in flowers, and one made of wood. My eyes finally lighted on the clear looking glass.

I stepped up to it. _Wonderland,_ I thought. _It's time to fulfill your destiny, Grace._

My hand moved up to the glass and moved seamlessly through it. I pushed my arm through, and nothing was wrong; I was completely fine.

"You can do this," I comforted myself, as I took one step towards the mirror, taking a deep breathe.

_Wonderland, here comes your savior, _I thought as I stepped through the looking glass.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N That's the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. And thank you all for the reviews. I'm happy that Belle is now in this story, because she is amazing.**

**Please review.**


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Snow White and Charming entered the pawnshop, the bell ringing above their heads.

"Ah, the prince and princess," Rumpelstiltskin greeted. "Looking for your weapons?"

"Yes," Snow said. "Do you have them?"

"The bow and arrows and the sword," Charming added, as if Rumpel had forgotten.

"How could I forget?" he said. "But, just out of curiosity, why do you need them?"

"Jefferson lost his daughter, and we need to get his hat back," Snow said. "Unless you'd be willing to help."

"I'm working on something of my own. I'm looking for someone," he said, and his tone let them know it would not be wise to ask questions. He walked to a shelf and grabbed the bow and arrows and the sword. "Here you are," Rumpel said, handing them the weapons.

"Thank you," Snow said, smiling softly. The pair then turned and left the shop.

"Who do you think he's looking for?" Charming asked as they headed back towards the apartment.

"I've heard stories, about his true love," Snow said. "I thought she was dead, but it seems it is not so." They climbed up the steps to the apartment and unlocked the door, stepping inside.

Emma was sitting on a stool near the counter when they entered. "What's the plan?"

"We just attack," he said. "I have no other plan."

Snow sighed. "We need to have a plan, or else we'll be walking into sure death." She paced, her mind racing. "We'll need to assemble some sort of army."

Jefferson retreated into his ponderings, bored by this talk of military and tactics. _I have no patience for this, _he thought. _I'll get her back on my own. _He stood up and asked, "Did you talk to Rumpelstiltskin about this?"

"Yes," Charming replied. "But he said he was busy with a search of his own."

"Belle," Jefferson muttered, a smile spreading across his face. "Let's go beat the sphinx."

"Right now?" the prince asked eagerly, childlike excitement lighting up his eyes.

"No," Snow White interrupted, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Someone could get hurt."

_Exactly,_ Jefferson thought grimly, but decided against saying this aloud. "We can gather some people and then just… go. I'm sure everyone will be eager to help the prince and princess." The last sentence was said mockingly, and he could see Charming's eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"Fine," Snow said, moving to the door. "Let's go." The four exited the apartment complex and headed towards the center of town.

"Snow!" Red cried, and flung her arms around her friend.

"Red," she breathed, hugging her back. "Did you see the sphinx fly over town?"

"That's what that thing was?" she asked, taking a step back. "We all saw it. Why?"

Snow explained, "We're going to fight it. Can you help us?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "I'll get some people." Red ran to a group of people and began explaining, with many excited gesticulations, the predicament they were facing. She returned to Snow, with a great many people following her.

Snow White exchanged a glance with Charming, before saying, "We are going to fight the sphinx. It is a great risk you are all taking, so if you wish to turn back, you certainly may." No one moved. She saw the seven dwarves come to join the group, and Snow smiled at them. "Our goal is to retrieve Jefferson's hat and open a portal."

"Why do we need the hat?" Happy, a dwarf, asked.

"We need the hat in order to save a little girl, her name is Grace. Before the curse was broken, she was called Paige." The people nodded in recognition; they had all heard of the little girl who had lost her father. "First though, we must go to the pawnshop and gather weapons." The group followed Snow White to the pawnshop and entered.

"Quite a group we have here," Rumpelstiltskin said as he took in their numbers. "Here for weapons?" Snow nodded and he laid out a variety of weapons on the counter. The dwarves took axes and crossbows, while most of the others grabbed swords, and Red grabbed a bow and arrows. "Going to defeat the sphinx?"

"Yes," Charming replied, glad to be able to contribute something to the conversation.

Emma pulled her gun out of its holster. "Will this be any help?"

"No," Snow said, handing her daughter a sword. "Do you want a weapon?" she asked Jefferson, who shrugged. She handed him two small daggers with sheaths, which he placed in the pockets of his long coat.

"Thank you," he said. She nodded.

"Is that all you need?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, addressing Snow White and Charming.

"That's all," Charming replied, turning to face the group of people. "Are you ready?" They all mumbled their agreement, and he continued by saying, "Let's go."

They turned and left the shop, heading towards the path that led out of Storybrooke. "Jefferson," Snow said. "We'll fight the thing, and you try and find your hat."

"Yes ma'am," he said, falling into step between her and Emma. They came to the front of the house and stopped, exchanging glances as they struggled to decide who would start.

"I'll go," Charming said, pulling out his sword and climbing up the front steps. The rest of the group cautiously followed him, their weapons drawn. Emma glanced at her mother, and pulled out her sword, the tip hitting the ground.

Charming knocked on the door, stepping back and holding his sword out in front of him. The woman opened the door. "Hello," she said, and then her eyes zoned in on the sword. "Oh, that's why you're here." Her talons began to surface and everyone watched in horror as the woman grew in size and began to sprout wings and tufts of lion fur. With a snarl, she batted her large paw at Charming, who deflected it with his sword. This contact caused the sphinx to emit a deafening scream of pain as blood began to ooze from the wound.

"Come on!" Snow White cried, rushing forward with her bow and arrows drawn. The group quickly followed her, and she shouted to Emma and Jefferson, "You two, find the hat!"

They slipped by the sphinx in the commotion and ran up the stairs, away from the battle.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Red released an arrow, and it struck the sphinx in the eye, producing another howl. The dwarves crowded around the feet of the creature and hacked at it with their pick axes, causing it to stamp its feet and knock them over. Snow ran forward as the sphinx approached the dwarves, bearing her sharp claws, about to finish them off. She shot an arrow into its already injured paw, and the pain caused the creature to fall back momentarily, but it was enough time for the dwarves to scramble to their feet and resume their attack.

Charming took a stab at the sphinx, but she quickly dodged the blow and knocked him to the side with her powerful wings. He was quick to recover and rushed to Snow's side, saying, "Any plans?"

"No," she admitted, stringing her bow and shooting at the sphinx, striking it on the shoulder. Charming pulled Snow sharply away as the sphinx reached towards them with her paw. "Thank you," she said, and pulled a dagger out of her pocket. Pulling back her arm, she flicked her wrist, and the blade when swirling through the air, just barely missing the creature. "Damn," she muttered, and ran towards Red, who was fervently shooting arrows at the sphinx.

Red's arrow buried itself into the creature's shoulder, and as a reaction, the creature struck out its paw, knocking Charming against the column. He crumpled to the ground. "No!" Snow cried, rushing towards her husband. "Charming," she said, kneeling beside him and taking his hand in hers.

"Snow," he said breathlessly. His eyes widened, and he warned, "Look out." Snow White whirled around, reaching for her arrows. _None left. _She shut her eyes, preparing for the sphinx to finish them both, when from above, she heard a voice scream, "Leave them alone!" She heard something hit the column and the sphinx crashing into her.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Emma and Jefferson rushed up the stairs, being knocked against the wall as the sphinx fell once, shaking the whole house. "Where is your hat?"

"It's in Grace's room," Jefferson replied as they reached the third floor. He pushed the door and saw the top hat lying on the ground. He stood there, watching it, fearful for Grace, where she was, who she was with.

"Grab it," Emma urged, as another crash shook the house. She fell, hitting her head against the window. She stood up, and looked out, as Jefferson scooped up the hat. Emma saw her parents, with the sphinx looming over them.

She opened up the window and struggled to get out, with the sword still in her hand. "What are you doing?" Jefferson asked, rushing to the window.

Emma ignored him, raising the sword above her head as she walked out onto the roof. "Leave them alone!" she screamed, taking her time to aim. The creature turned to face her, and Emma noticed that one of its powerful wings aligned with the column. She released the sword and watched with baited breath as it spun through the air, sinking through the wing and burying itself in the column. The sphinx fell back against Snow and Charming, and struggled to free itself, before giving up hope.

"Wow," Jefferson said, from inside the room. Emma turned and climbed back into the house, and the two of them rushed down the steps onto the porch.

Red and the dwarves were struggling to pull Snow and Charming out from under the sphinx's body. Snow White managed to wriggle out and helped them to free her husband. Emma came up behind her mother and put a hand on her shoulder. "Oh Emma!" she cried, standing and pulling her daughter into a hug. "You saved us."

Emma hugged her back as Jefferson helped to remove Charming from under the sphinx. He was retrieved, and the sphinx bellowed in rage, trying to escape. "He's hurt," Jefferson said.

"We should probably get out of here, anyways," Red said, glancing up at the sphinx. Snow nodded in agreement, wiping back tears as she looked down at her husband.

The dwarves carried the prince between them as they hurried back to Storybrooke, leaving the screaming sphinx behind them.

"You're a hero, Emma," Jefferson said, fingering his top hat.

She shrugged. "You know, we still haven't had dinner."

He nodded as they entered Storybrooke, making a beeline for the hospital. Jefferson was pleased as they approached it, for this was a part of his plan. When they entered the room, Whale dropped his cup of water and began to ask Snow, Red, and the dwarves questions about what had happened, as nurses flocked around the prince. Emma went to comfort her mother, and Jefferson easily slipped away. He found a supply closet, where he put on a pair of white scrubs. He left the closet, glancing around to see if anyone was there, but they were all gathered by the prince's bedside. He went to a hot water container and poured some into a cup, placing a tea bag inside.

From his pocket, Jefferson pulled a small packet of white powder, which he knew would put the nurse under momentarily. He poured it into the tea, and then headed to a door marked exit. He entered the code, and entered, descending the stairs to the basement of the hospital. _If Belle was anywhere, it would have to be here, _he told himself as he approached the nurse sitting at the desk. "Your tea," he said, handing it to her.

"Thank you. Do you know what the commotion is about upstairs?" she asked.

"The prince is hurt," Jefferson replied, as she took a long drink of the tea. She opened her mouth to speak, but her head fell forward and the tea spilled across the counter. He smiled, and picked the keys up off the desk. He grabbed a coat off of a rack and walked down the hall, searching for her cell.

Jefferson walked down one aisle, meeting a janitor along the way. Jefferson placed his finger to his lips, signaling for the man to keep quiet, and he did, continuing to mop the seemingly endless hallway.

He came to a door, and peered through the window, seeing a brunette woman lying on a cot in the corner. _This is her, _he thought with a smile, and unlocked the door, opening it and stepping inside. Jefferson held out his hand to her and said, "Come with me."

She accepted his hand and allowed him to help her to her feet. He took in her appearance, with her wide and curious blue eyes, and her long, tangled brown hair. "Jefferson?" she asked, remembering the man from the times she had met him in the Dark Castle. She rubbed her eyes before looking back up at him.

"Belle," he greeted.

"Are you here to get me out?" she inquired hopefully.

He nodded. "But you have to promise me that you'll deliver a message for me. To Rumpelstiltskin."

"I will," she promised. "What message?"

"Tell him that Jefferson got you out, and that he owes me one," he instructed her, his hands resting on her shoulders.

"All right," Belle said, nodding. "Where is Rumpelstiltskin?"

"He owns a pawnshop. When I let you out, it's right across the street. I'll point it out," Jefferson said, leading her out of the cell. Her breath hitched as they came to the door labeled 'exit'. Jefferson wrapped the coat around her shoulders before entering the code and opening the door.

Beyond the door, lay a short set of stairs, and then another door, this one not protected by a code. "Thank you so much, Jefferson," Belle said, wrapping him in a tight hug, which he hesitantly returned.

"You're welcome," he said when he released her. "Now find him. And remember the message."

Belle smiled gratefully at him, and said, "I'll repay you someday," before climbing up the stairs and opening the door, blinding by the bright afternoon light.

. . . . . . . . . . .

I found myself in a house, an empty house. I walked into one room, and found it filled with different clocks. I walked to a shelf, and took a pocket watch off of it. Holding it to my ear, I heard no tick. _How strange, _I thought, as I put my ear against a clock. It emitted absolutely no pulsation. I moved to a grandfather clock, and again, no tick. "Where am I?" I wondered, holding my ear to each clock, frantically trying to find the one that ticked.

Not one did. _This'll drive me mad, _I decided, and hurriedly left the room. I came to another room, which looked like a dining room, with a long table in the center, and a china cabinet, displaying all sorts of plates and glasses. Coming to the buffet table in the corner, I saw something that looked like an advent calendar. Memories rushed back to me; of my 'mother' and my 'father' helping me to open each door as I eagerly awaited Christmas day.

I opened the first door, and found it empty. I did the same with the second and third door, but they were empty too. I moved down to the twentieth door, and pulled and pulled, but couldn't get it opened. "Go in order, dearie," a voice said, and I jumped, before turning around to see nobody there.

"Rumpelstiltskin?" I asked, my heart beating faster by the second.

"No," the voice said, and I looked down to see a caterpillar, which measured to be about a foot long, on the ground, smoking a hookah.

"You're… a caterpillar?" I asked, kneeling to the ground beside the thing.

"Well that's rather obvious," he replied, regarding me skeptically. "And _who are you_?"

"I'm Grace," I stated. "Daughter of Alice and the Mad Hatter."

"Alice," he said distastefully. "I gave her a piece of my mushroom, and I never got it back."

"Well," I said. "When you give gifts, you don't generally expect to get things in return."

"It gets worse," the caterpillar continued, ignoring me. "Everyone stole pieces of my mushroom, so I had to move here."

"Oh," I said, feigning sympathy. "Do you know how to get out of here?"

He took a drag of his pipe, and said, "If you're a daughter of Alice, you'd better be careful of the Queen of Hearts."

"You aren't answering my question," I accused, feeling foolish for arguing with a caterpillar. "How do I get out of your house?"

"The Queen has been especially bad lately. Mass executions. She interrupted the mad tea party and broke my clocks," he continued, inching away languidly.

I sighed. _No use talking to him, _I thought, standing up. I continued to open the rest of the doors, and in the eighteenth door, I found that it had no back, and peering inside, I could see a small house in the distance. _That's where I must go._

I moved the advent calendar onto the floor, and on the table, I found a tray of chocolates, and each one said _Eat Me_, in small, slanted letters. I picked one up, and shrugging, popped it in my mouth. I closed my eyes as a strange sensation passed over me. When I reopened my eyes, I found that I was just about four inches tall. I looked around me, taking in how large everything was, and it filled me with fear.

I climbed up into the eighteenth door and climbed through, eager to find someone more helpful than the caterpillar.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Belle was shocked by the bright sun beaming down at her. She put her hand up to shield her eyes, and looked across the street, her eyes lighting on the pawnshop. She rushed towards it, wrapping the jacket tight round her to ward off the cold weather. She entered the pawnshop, the bell announcing her arrival.

The man behind the counter looked up, and his eyes widened as he immediately recognized her. "Belle," he said, coming around the counter and hurrying towards her, placing his hand on her shoulder; to make sure she was real, not just a cruel illusion.

"Rumpelstiltskin," she said, pulling him into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he whispered, hugging her back.

She pulled apart from him, and said, "I have a message for you."

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"Jefferson let me out," she said. "You owe him one."

Rumpelstiltskin nodded, before pressing a light kiss on her lips. "I'm so glad you found me," he muttered, as he pulled her back towards him in a tight and loving embrace.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N That's the chapter, and it's the longest one so far. Also, it was so much fun to write. Also, I finally read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I enjoyed it. I like the idea that Belle and Jefferson knew each other before the curse, so that's in here too. I loved writing the fight scene, so I hope you enjoy it.**

**Please review.**


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Henry hurriedly entered the hospital and saw Emma, Snow, and Red standing in a corner while Whale and two nurses stood by Charming's bed. "Will he be okay?" he asked Emma, who looked up to meet his eye.

"He'll be fine," she reassured him, as Dr. Whale walked towards them.

"He's up," Whale said, addressing Snow. "You can talk to him." Snow White nodded to him in silent thanks and walked towards Charming's bed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, gently placing her cold hand on his cheek.

"All right," he replied, reaching up to take her hand.

Snow White smiled softly and said, "Emma saved us."

"Proud of her," he mumbled, closing his eyes for a long moment, and then slowly opening them again.

"Tired?"

He nodded.

"Go to sleep," she urged kindly, leaning over and pressing a light kiss against his lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Snow," Charming said, his eyes closing as he drifted off to sleep. Snow White removed her hand from his and pulled the sheets up over him, before turning to rejoin Emma, Red, and Henry.

"Hi Henry," Snow said, the fact finally dawning on her that she was his grandmother.

"Hi Grandma," he greeted, smiling, as she pulled him into a hug.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Jefferson returned to the main floor of the hospital, and returned to the closet, exchanging his scrubs for his regular clothes. He avoided the group around the prince's bed and left the hospital, hurrying along the street, his top hat tucked under one arm.

"Jefferson!" a voice cried, and he turned around to see Belle running towards him, with Rumpel walking behind her. She threw herself into his arms, and he stepped back sharply to keep from falling over.

"Belle," he greeted, setting her back down on the ground. "Rumpelstiltskin."

"Jefferson," Rumpel responded, coming to stand next to Belle. "I believe I owe you a favor."

"Yes, you do," he said, smiling. "Shall we go to the diner?"

Rumpel nodded, and the three entered Granny's to find it mostly empty, with the old woman behind the countered, wiping a glass. She looked up to see them, and dropped the glass. "Rumpelstiltskin," she whispered, petrified with fear. Her eyes moved to Jefferson, and she recognized him too: the man who traveled between worlds, stealing objects with magical properties.

Belle shyly stepped up to the counter and said, "Three cups of tea, please." The old woman nodded and rushed to the kitchen.

Rumpel laughed, a dry laugh, as Belle turned around to face them. "How about we sit down?" he suggested, settling down at a booth. Belle slid into a seat beside him, and Jefferson sat across from them. "So, what is this favor?"

Jefferson smiled. "I need your help to get my daughter back."

"You have a daughter?" Belle asked. "Where is she?"

He set his hat on the table. "She went through the hat. I can only assume she chose to go to Wonderland."

"I'm so sorry," Belle said, concern showing in her eyes. "Rumpel, you have to help."

"I will, my dear," he reassured. "Now, how would you like me to help?"

Jefferson's eyes darted around the room as he searched for an answer. "I'll have to get back to you on that."

The old woman hurried out of the kitchen with a tray bearing a kettle, cream, sugar, and three little teacups. "I'll get that," Belle offered, and the woman tossed her a grateful glance as she took the tray and brought it to the table before sliding back into place beside Rumpelstiltskin.

Jefferson poured himself a cup of tea, and poured some cream and sugar into it. "I don't really know what my plan is to get her back."

Rumpel shrugged. "Once you have a plan, I'll help you."

"Thank you," Jefferson said, watching as the two seated across from him fixed their tea.

"What's you daughter's name?" Belle asked, after taking a sip of her tea.

"Grace," he said softly.

"That's a lovely name," she replied. "Grace…"

Rumpelstiltskin drank some of his tea and set the cup down, sighing deeply. "Wonderland. That's where she is?"

"Yes," Jefferson replied sadly.

"What's wrong with Wonderland?" Belle asked, glancing between the two.

Jefferson shrugged, before saying, "It's not a very safe place. Especially not for a little girl."

Belle felt a sense of doom as he said those words. "We have to do something, then." She took his hat off of the table and set it on the ground. "What's it supposed to do?"

"Spin," Jefferson said. "But there's no magic."

"How did Grace open the portal?" Rumpel asked, eyeing the hat.

The portal jumper thought for a moment before saying, "She put my old pocket watch inside the hat."

Rumpel nodded, and said, "I might have some sort of magical trinket in my shop."

Jefferson smiled. "Thank you."

The older man shrugged, and Belle smiled up at him. "We'll find her."

. . . . . . . . . . .

I stood up and found myself next to a house. I found that compared to the home, I was a relatively normal height. I went around to the front and pressed my ear to the door. I heard noises, but they were not from inside. I walked around to the back of the house and saw a mouse lying asleep at a table which was occupied by a rabbit in glasses and a coat, as well as a woman in a top hat and trousers, a white shirt, and a jacket. The rabbit looked up at me and jumped in fright, throwing a teacup at me. I ducked and when I stood back up to my full height, I asked, "What was that for?"

"Oh, how lovely, a guest," the woman said, turning around to face me. "Come this way. Take a seat."

I approached the table cautiously- in case the rabbit decided to throw something else- and took a seat next to the woman. "Who are you both?"

"That there is the Dormouse," the rabbit said, pointing to the sleeping figure before downing his cup of tea.

"That is the March Hare," the woman said. "And I am known here as the Mad Hatter." My eyes widened in shock as she leaned in to whisper in my ear, "but my real name is Marie."

"Who are you?" the March Hare asked, pouring himself more tea.

I ignored his question, my eyes still trained on Marie. "Why do you go by Mad Hatter?" I asked her.

"Well, he needed someone to join his tea party, but they had to be especially mad. Also, it's such a romantic story. Have you heard it?"

"Yes," I said. "But you can tell me again."

"All right," she replied, rubbing her hands together as the March Hare poured his tea on the Dormouse's head. "A man and a woman came into Wonderland. The woman was a queen from another land, and she abandoned the man here, and he got captured. He got beheaded, and said he traveled here through a hat. He said he had to get back to his daughter, Grace. He was tasked with creating another hat, but he couldn't do, and went mad. One day, he went missing, and the Queen of Hearts has been searching the land ever since."

"Who are you?" the March Hare asked again.

"Grace," I said, and Marie gasped. I addressed the March Hare, asking, "Do you know two people named Jefferson and Alice?"

He nodded. "Oh yes. They stopped by once, for tea. He stole my special tea bag. They came back a few times. Alice was going to have a baby."

"Me," I said.

"You mean," Marie stuttered, "you're the daughter of the Hatter and Alice."

I nodded. "I am. And why are you pretending to be my father?"

"I told you," she said. "There are many like me. It's an identity favored by thieves and other sorts of criminals."

"And madmen?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No," she said gravely. "We're all mad here."

I ignored that comment and said, "I'm here to save Wonderland."

"Here to finish the job for Alice?"

"Finish? What do you mean?" I asked. A teacup crashed against the home as the March Hare's throw barely missed my head.

"I take it you don't know what happened to her," Marie said, sending a kettle towards the Hare.

"I don't," I said.

"She was killed," Marie said, "and that's all you need to know, savior."

"How am I supposed to save this world?" I asked. "And why did Papa steal from you?" The last question was directed towards the March Hare, but he was still recovering from when the kettle hit him.

"I should probably take you to the White Rabbit," she said. "He houses the militia."

"Oh," I said, as Marie stood and led me away from the tea party. "Is it a large militia?"

"No, no," she said, laughing. "It's a small, ragtag bunch. Most of them are just straight-out insane. Madder than your father ever was."

"My father is not mad," I said, stopping. "And he's alive."

She looked shocked, before linking her arm in mine and leading me through the forest. "That's a surprise. How is he?"

"Fine," I said. "Not that you ever knew him."

"True. How did he get out?"

"There was a curse. The queen from our land made a curse that took us from our land and moved us to one without magic."

"Without magic?" she asked, looking appalled. "Not that I practice it. Continue on."

"I didn't know who he was, but then I started having dreams, and I began to believe."

"Once I had a dream," Marie said. "I dreamed I was drowning in a cup of tea."

"Okay," I said, narrowing my eyes at her for interrupting. "Anyways, the curse was broken, and I jumped through my papa's hat."

"Interesting, interesting," she said as we entered a clearing with a blue house in the center. "Here we are." We approached the house, and on the door, it had engraved: _W. Rabbit._

"This is the White Rabbit's house," I said as Marie knocked on the door.

"How on earth could you tell?" she asked, and I wasn't sure if it was sarcastic or not. "You're a very bright girl."

"Thank you," I said, and the door opened and we were hurried inside.

"Who is this?" a voice asked, and it was so dark that I couldn't see the speaker.

"Grace. The daughter of the Hatter- the real one- and Alice. The savior," Marie said excitedly as we were ushered down a flight of stairs.

"The savior!" many voices cried, and a light came on, and I found myself surrounded by many creatures; a pig, a turtle, many lizard type creatures, a white rabbit in a waistcoat, and most hauntingly, a single grin.

Overwhelmed, I felt myself grow light-headed, and I saw the world grow dark around me as I crumpled to the ground.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N There's the chapter. I hope you all like it. I like the fake Mad Hatter character. I can't wait to continue with Grace. I'm also glad Belle is officially in this story I hope you all enjoyed.**

**Please review.**


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Is she waking up?"

"How should I know?"

"You're smarter than me."

"And you're an idiot!"

"Stop bickering."

"You're one to talk, Cat. It's your fault this happened."

"Don't blame me."

My eyes slowly opened and I could see the creatures crowded around me. I first saw a cat, with the widest, greenest eyes I had ever seen looking down at me. "See, she's fine," he told the other animals, and Marie helped me to my feet.

"I'm all right," I said, taking in deep gulps of air. "Sorry I passed out like that."

"It's fine," a lizard said. "It must have been quite a shock, coming face to face with a beast like that." He looked distastefully at the cat. I made a mental note that cats and lizards didn't mix.

"You all could start by introducing yourselves," I offered, smiling hopefully, anxious to end the obnoxious squabbling. I was beginning to understand why my father hated Wonderland.

"I," the cat said dramatically, "am the Cheshire Cat." He grinned at me.

"I didn't know cats could grin," I said, taking in his white teeth, which looked rather sharp.

"Neither did your mother," he replied, and the subject was dropped.

A lizard, who appeared to be a spokesmen for the rest, stepped forward and said, "My name is Bill. The others can't talk, so they aren't of much importance." The other lizards grumbled angrily behind him, and Bill raised a hand to silence them.

"Nice to meet you all," I said, nodding my head to the disgruntled lizards.

Next, a white rabbit came towards me. "I am Sir W. Rabbit. But everyone calls me just the White Rabbit." He reached into his pocket, and pulled out his paw, which gripped a gold pocket watch. "Half past two," he muttered, and I realized why Papa had reacted the way he did to my watch with the white rabbit on the face.

"Pleasure," I said, reaching out my hand, which he hastily shook.

"I'm the Gryphon," a creature spoke, and it came forward, looking very much like a dragon with small wings. I jumped at the sight of him, and he hurriedly apologized, saying, "I'm sorry. What did I do to offend you?"

"Nothing," I muttered. "Sorry, you just reminded me of my mother for a moment."

"Your mother," Marie began incredulously, "looks like that thing?"

"Hush up," the Gryphon snapped. "At least I'm not a bad copy of someone else."

"At least I don't have wings, and can't even fly," she countered.

"Be quiet, both of you," the Cheshire Cat interrupted. "Our savior is trying to speak."

"Thank you," I said, gratefully. "And to answer your question, Marie, it's a long story."

"Oh do tell," the Gryphon cried eagerly, sitting down at my feet. "I do love stories."

"Speaking of stories," the White rabbit began, swinging his watch from side to side, "where is the Mock Turtle?"

"He was feeling sad today," the Gryphon said, not moving his eyes from me. _I've never felt more mute in my life, _I thought. _These animals sure do love to talk._

"He's sad _every_day," the Rabbit said mournfully, but he too took a seat on a stool in preparation for my story.

"Can I speak now?" I asked, tapping my foot against the cellar floor.

"Aren't you in a foul mood," Bill mumbled bitterly, and Marie kicked her boot at him, gesturing for me to begin.

"Thank you," I said, struggling to figure where to begin. I found a good spot, and started, saying:

"My earliest memory was of when I was probably four years old, and it was my Papa making tea, and giving it to me in a little chipped cup. I was sick, and I remember him telling me stories of Wonderland. Of a little girl named Alice, and her friends: The March Hare, The Mad Hatter, The Cheshire Cat, The White Rabbit, and also of the dreadful Queen of Hearts. He always told me that Alice defeated the Queen, but I now know that is not true. My Papa, is a man of magic, and he traveled to different lands through his magical hat, finding items for Rumpelstiltskin."

After the name, they all gasped and some shuddered. "How do you know who Rumpelstiltskin is?"

The White Rabbit spoke up and said, "Just as you have heard tales of our land, we have heard some of yours." He was obviously swelling with pride at being mentioned in my story.

"Tell us more about Rumpelstiltskin," Marie urged, and I continued.

"He was known as the Dark One, and his skin seemed to be made of tiny little scales. I know he was infamous for his deals that always benefited himself, and no one else. He was rumored to have been in love once, but she died. I don't know how. So anyways, Papa worked for him, until I was born. That's when he swore off magic and kept his hat stored in a trunk in the corner of our little house. We were happy together, selling mushrooms at the market. Then one day, the Evil Queen, Regina, came to visit. Papa told me to stay hidden in the woods, which I did, while he talked to her. I didn't know about the hat then, so I had no idea what they were talking about. The next week, Papa left and I went to stay with our neighbors, whom I used to be fond of. That was the last time I saw him in that world."

I paused then, taking a deep breathe, as the Cheshire Cat asked, "Would you like me to tell you what happened while your father was in Wonderland? The last time?"

"Yes," I said, nodding.

"All right," he said, clearing his throat. "I observed it all, as I could follow them easily with only my eyes being seen. Anyways, they entered Wonderland, and were met by Caterpillar. He's a foolish creature, really," the cat ranted. "He thinks he's so wise."

"I know," I interjected. "I've met him."

"Oh," the Cheshire Cat said, and then continued with his account. "They entered the Queen's maze, and I had to laugh as Regina burned right through it. They couldn't hear me though, because my mouth wasn't there. Anyways, they went to the Queen's mausoleum, and Regina took a box from it. They ran back to the looking glass, being chased by guards. Regina opened up the box and took a piece of the caterpillar's mushroom- much of it was already gone- and put it inside the box. An old man, her father, probably, sprouted out of it. They left, leaving your father behind. After he was locked up, I used to talk to him through his window, but he was already mad, so he probably thought I was from his imagination. Then, I went back one day, and he was gone. It was a mystery. And since then, things around here have been getting curiouser and curiouser."

The group laughed at the phrase, and I asked, "Where did that phrase come from? 'Curiouser and curiouser'? I heard it in a dream once."

"A little phrase your mother invented during her first visit. The time she first met your father. She was just a little girl then, and he wasn't much older," the White Rabbit reminisced.

"Now," the Cheshire Cat said, "tell me about what happened to your father."

I nodded, and said, "After my father disappeared, I spent nearly everyday in the market, shouting for him, or holding up signs, asking if anyone had seen him. Word got around to Regina, and she had her knights bring me to her. She told me he died, and then locked me up. I eventually got returned to the neighbors, and then a curse came. A great deal of smoke, and then… then I didn't remember anything," I said, struggling to recount the curse. "I suppose Regina wanted to bring Papa along, and that's why he disappeared. For twenty-eight years, we didn't remember a thing, never aging. During the curse, my parents were the neighbors. The only ones who remembered were Regina, Rumpelstiltskin, and Papa."

"Poor Hatter," the White Rabbit mumbled.

"Then, Emma came," I said dramatically, and they all perked up at the mention of this new person.

"Who is Emma?" the Gryphon inquired, leaning forward excitedly.

I thought of how to phrase it, and then said, "She is the savior of my land. The daughter of Snow White and Prince James, but Snow calls him Charming. When the curse overtook our land, she was put in a wardrobe and transported away, in the hopes that she would one day come back and break the curse."

"And she succeeded?" Marie asked.

"Yes," I said. "Everyone remembered, and magic was restored. I reunited with Papa. But then, the neighbor grabbed me, not as herself, but as another creature, that sort of looks like you," I conveyed, pointing at the Gryphon. "She carried me off back to our house, and turned back to herself. She killed my fake father and I went upstairs, finding Papa's hat and a pocket watch inside a box that said _Alice_. I put the pocket watch in the hat, and it began to spin. Thinking that maybe I would be able to get to a place with Papa, I jumped in. That's how I ended up here."

"Good story," Bill said, and I saw the other lizards strenuously nodding.

"Wait," the Rabbit said. "If you were, say ten, and you stayed that way for twenty-eight years, then you are 28+10."

"That's correct," I said. "I would be thirty-eight. But in actuality, I am still ten. Now that the curse is broken, I'll begin to age." He nodded, understanding the concept, but he looked confused about the arithmetic part.

"Where's the March Hare?" the cat asked, looking at Marie.

"He's recovering from getting hit with a kettle," she explained, shrugging.

"You threw a kettle at him?" the Cheshire Cat asked, incredulously. "He knows the most about Jefferson and Alice. About what happened to them."

"What _did_ happen to Alice?" I inquired, but was quickly interrupted.

"He threw a teacup at our dear savior," she defended herself vehemently, pointing at me with a flourish. "She's more important than a stupid rabbit."

The White Rabbit coughed obviously. "I'm right here, you know."

"I do know," Marie said. "I just don't care."

"Be quiet!" I cried. "Let's get the March Hare, since none of you will tell me what happened to my mother."

They all exchanged uneasy glances, and Bill spoke up, saying, "Yes, let's," ever so eager to dump the burden on the poor mad rabbit.

"I'll go," Marie said, jumping out of her seat and rushing up the wooden steps.

"Thank the gods," the White Rabbit said loudly. "Good riddance of that fool."

"I can hear you," she cried from above.

"I know," the Rabbit said, mimicking her tone from just a few minutes earlier. "I just don't care." The door slammed from above, as a giggle escaped from between my clenched teeth.

"A simple disgrace to your father," the Cheshire Cat said, and I realized that he was now floating in the air, turning languidly.

"Showoff," I heard someone mutter.

"When I knew him, he was simply great company at the Mad Tea Party. I often stopped by. And Alice, she was just a great joy. So sharp, quick-witted," the cat continued. "When the Queen locked him up, he talked about you all the time. I'm not sure if he recognized me, but as I said before, he was so mad, he probably thought I was a figment of his starved, lonely mind, longing for a companion."

"Why must you always be so morbid and cynical?" the Gryphon asked.

"No reason," the cat replied. "I just like to tell it as it is."

I smiled, beginning to feel at home with this strange bunch. The door opened and shut above, and Marie came bounding down the steps, dragging the March Hare by his shirt collar. "Here he is," she said, pushing him down onto a stool. "Tell us about Jefferson and Alice."

"What's to tell? They were quite a lovely pair. Stopped by every so often. The one grudge I had with Jefferson was when he stole my special tea leaves."

"Why would he steal them?" I asked, eager to get the information.

The Hare shrugged. "They must've had some magic in them."

"What happened to my mother, to Alice?"

"Beheaded," he said as if it was an everyday occurrence, and I shuddered.

"Were any of you there?" I inquired, and they gave each other pointed looks, and one by one, they nodded, except for Marie, who clearly felt left out. "Tell me every detail."

"I was definitely there. I used to work for the Queen, but after what she did to your mother, that sweet, lovely creature, I left." I beckoned for him to continue, and he did, saying, "There was a clumsy executioner. Very much so. He hit your mother's shoulders, and the back of her head. Anything but her neck. From my spot near the Queen- who was laughing through the whole ordeal- I saw the blood filling her mouth and splattering against the wood. Alice screamed out many times. For you, for your father, for all of us. For weeks, I couldn't shake her bloodcurdling screams from my mind."

I felt myself becoming nauseous, and Marie jumped to my side, bringing me to another room, where I emptied my stomach in a bucket. "Mama," I muttered, feeling light-headed.

"Don't worry, Grace," Marie said, putting a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. However, it was all in vain as the tears came running down my face and a sob escaped. "It's just a story. It can't really be true."

"Oh, but it is. Papa wouldn't tell me what happened, so it must have been true," I cried, laying my head against Marie's lap.

"Maybe he didn't know," she suggested, but her voice sounded unconvinced.

I shrugged, as her hands smoothed down my hair. Slowly, I felt the tears slow as my eyes slipped closed and a deep slumber encased me.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Jefferson walked into the diner to find Emma sitting at a table alone. He walked towards her, and said, "Dinner?"

She looked up abruptly, startled to see him there, and said, "Sure." He sat down across from her, and she asked, "How are you?"

"All right," he said.

"Why are carrying your hat?"

He looked down, having just remembered that it was clenched in his fist. "I guess I don't want to lose it. It's my only chance of getting Grace back."

"You aren't taking it well," Emma said. "And I understand. But don't worry. If you love Grace as much as I know you do, you will definitely find her."

"Thanks, Emma," he said as Red walked out of the kitchen.

"Hi guys," she said, pulling out a pad of paper. "What can I get you?"

"Surprise us," Emma said, ordering for both of them, and smiling at Jefferson.

"Okay," Red said.

"Oh, and two cups of tea," Jefferson told her, smiling back at Emma.

When Red had walked away, Emma whispered, "You grin like a Cheshire Cat."

"I'm honored to hear it," Jefferson said, smiling as he remembered his good days in Wonderland. "He's wonderful company. Actually, I bet Grace is with him right now. He'll protect her."

"You used to love Wonderland, didn't you?" Emma asked, reaching over and taking his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I did," he said. "I used to have a wonderful time, with the March Hare, the White Rabbit, the Gryphon, the Cheshire Cat," his eyes glazed over as he continued to list the names of his many companions. "and…" Jefferson couldn't say the name. He looked across the table at Emma, at what this meeting was. The possibility that Alice could be alive scratched at the back of his mind. _I can't do this to either of them, _he thought, standing abruptly from the table.

"What's wrong, Jefferson?" Emma asked, but he backed away.

"I have to go," he said, and turned and left the diner, breaking into a run once the door was closed behind him.

"What just happened?" Red asked, coming out with two cups of tea.

Emma didn't move her eyes from the door as she whispered, feeling defeated, "I have no idea." With a sigh, she sat down at the table, holding her head and in her hands.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N There's the chapter. It's relatively long, and I hope you all like it. I love writing Wonderland. It's so fun, and I can't wait to write more. I hope you all enjoyed. Also, Emma and Jefferson are sad. Is it cruel that I can't imagine him any other way?**

**Please review.**


	27. Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Jefferson slumped down against the side of the bell tower, letting out a deep sigh. He felt horrible, running out on Emma like that. _I just need time to think,_ he told himself, his mind flashing to Grace. _She's safe. She'll be protected. _He thought back to those he had met beyond the looking glass. If they knew of Grace's destiny, they certainly would take care of her. _But then again, anything can happen in Wonderland._

Biting down on his lip, he sighed, his head falling back against the wall. The sound of a door opening caused him to jump. "Jefferson?" She walked towards him, kneeling down next to him.

"What were you doing in the bell tower?" he asked.

"I opened the library back up," Belle said, her eyes lighting up at the thought of books. "Would you like to come inside?"

Jefferson nodded, climbing to his feet as she unlocked the door and let them both in. "Thank you," he said, sitting down at a table.

Belle sat down across from him. "You're worried about Grace, aren't you?"

"It's not just that," he said. "It's Emma as well."

She nodded in understanding. "Rumpel was telling me about that."

"Why?" he asked, feeling suddenly defensive. Though it wasn't uncommon for the Dark One to know everything about everyone in town.

"I asked about you," Belle said. "I haven't seen you in all these years. He told me about Alice, too."

He didn't answer, and she continued to ask, "Is that why you won't let yourself get close to Emma?"

"I don't know what happened to Alice, where she is, if she's even alive," Jefferson muttered. "That's why."

"Jefferson," Belle began, looking at him sympathetically, "I know it's difficult, but sometimes you have to let go in order to be happy." She reached for his hand, but he suddenly pulled away, standing up.

"I don't know where she is, what happened to her. It's killing me, Belle. Both of them could be dead." He put his hands over his face, taking long deep breathes. He wrapped his hands in his scarf, tugging hard; a nervous habit of his.

Belle sprung from the table, moving towards Jefferson and disentangling his hands from his scarf. "Come on," she said, grabbing him by the wrist and leading him out the door. She locked it behind them and then started down the street towards the pawnshop.

"Why are you taking me here?" Jefferson asked.

"You need to rest. Worrying won't do you any good," Belle remarked as they entered the pawnshop. Leading him up the stairs, she found a spare room. "You'll stay here."

"I appreciate it, Belle, but-" She placed her finger against his lips, silencing him.

"You're staying here, and that's final. Would you like me to find you something to change into?"

"No thanks," he said. "I'll sit up for a while."

"All right," she said, offering a smile. "We'll find her."

He nodded, as she left the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Are you better now?" Marie asked as I lifted my head from her lap.

I nodded, wiping leftover tears from my eyes. "I'm ready to go back out."

"All right," Marie said, getting to her feet and stretching a bit. We left the room, entering the main room of the basement where the other creatures were conversing.

They silenced as I entered, and the White Rabbit hastened to apologize: "Miss, I am so sorry the story bothered you."

"It's fine," I said. "At least I know. Papa would never tell me."

"Your father didn't know," the Cheshire Cat said, turning over in the air. "Didn't have the heart to tell him when the Queen locked him up."

"Well, at least now I know," I restated. "So, what do you all do around here?"

"How full of questions," the White Rabbit remarked. "Just as your mother was. So curious."

"It's not a bad thing," I said, feeling defensive of my mother.

"Not at all," the Gryphon said. "To answer your question, we mainly reminisce about the past. We're a rather melancholy bunch around here."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "I thought you were the militia. You don't make plans? Recruit others?"

"We've recruited quite a few," Bill said. "They just never show up."

"Besides," the Cheshire Cat remarked, "no use fighting a battle you just can't win."

I was shocked; I had never seen lower morale in my life, except from Papa, when I first met him in Storybrooke. "You all sound like my Papa."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Marie asked.

"Not necessarily. I meant from when I first met him in Storybrooke," I explained. "When he thought that it was useless trying to change anything. Since I'm supposedly your savior, I have to help you, but you must at least put on a good face for it."

"Rather difficult for some of us," Marie said, glancing at the lizards in the room.

"And stop with the snippy remarks!" I cried. "You all must quit arguing if you want to accomplish anything."

"The savior is right," the White Rabbit added, eager to get on my good side.

"And please," I said, "just call me Grace."

They rolled the name over in their minds and were silent for a moment. _Finally, _I thought good-naturedly.

"Grace," the Cheshire Cat said, trying the name. "I'd be willing to call you that."

"It doesn't matter if you're willing or not," I shot back. "You have to."

"Well, Grace," he said, rolling his eyes. "If you would like to learn more about Wonderland, come with me."

"Where?" I asked, skeptically, but he was fading from view. Soon he was all but gone, and I heard his voice whisper in my ear: "Outside."

I jumped out of my seat, and looked around, but the Cheshire Cat was nowhere to be found. "Did you all hear that?" I asked, but they all looked at me oddly. "Never mind. I'll be right back." I raced up the stairs and heard them beginning to bicker in the basement.

I exited the White Rabbit's house and walked towards the forest. "Uh, uh, uh," his voice said, and I looked up to see the Cheshire Cat sitting in the tree. "Best not to go in without an escort."

"What do you want from me?" I demanded, becoming frustrated.

"It is not something I want from you, but something _you _want from _me_," he said.

"Stop speaking in riddles," I said, but then quietly inquired, "What is it that I want?"

"Information, about Wonderland. A possible way to contact your father," he told me, vanishing from the tree and reappearing by my side. "If you wish to listen."

"I do," I rushed, anxious to learn more.

"No questions?" he asked. "Can you calm your curiosity for this _one _story?"

"Curiosity isn't bad," I defended myself. "Though curiosity _did _kill the cat." He scoffed at the saying. "The Cheshire Cat, perhaps?" I asked, smiling.

"Not at all, my friend," he smirked. "Nothing kills the Cheshire Cat."

"Everyone has a weakness," I remarked as we walked into the forest.

"You are right about that. But it's not always easy to find." He laughed and spun lazily in the air. "Information. That's what you want, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, please."

"Okay," he said, yawning. "You know things have worsened in Wonderland. The increase in beheadings."

"Wait," I interrupted, and he sighed. "I thought the King of Hearts cancelled all the Queen's orders, so there were hardly any beheadings."

"That used to be true. But our dear old King is dead. Now, no one disobeys the Queen." The cat said the king's title with false respect and reverence. "Can I continue?"

"Yes."

"And you know that in Wonderland, you must be mad to survive, right?"

"I'm not mad," I countered.

"Obviously you are, or you wouldn't be here. Any sane person would slit their wrists after listening to us for an afternoon. You didn't. You're mad, Grace, mad as a hatter." He took in my shocked face and grinned a mischievous grin. "In Wonderland, everyone's mad. You have to be. Your mother was. Your father was. I am. Gryphon is. Our lovely pretender is mad. It can't be any other way."

"What happens if you aren't mad?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

His large green eyes widened even more, and he answered, "This place will make you mad."

I felt the horror rising in me as I suddenly felt vulnerable. _This is the land I have to save._

"And," the Cheshire Cat continued, walking ahead, tugging me along with him, "I suppose you should know that madness is not at all a mindset. I should know, I've done extensive research on the subject."

"If it's not a mindset, then what is it?" I inquired.

"It's a place. Either a place inside your head, or a literal place. Like Wonderland." He grinned. "Wonderland is madness. It makes every sane person mad and any mad person madder."

"And why are you telling me this?" I asked, my voice low and shaky.

He turned around, baring his sharp teeth in a diabolical smile. "To scare you." When my eyes narrowed at him, he said, "I need to see what our savior's made of."

"Why don't you go and join the Queen of Hearts, as rude as you are?"

"She's _evil_," he explained, and when I gave him a questioningly glance regarding his own stature on the scale of good and evil, he stated, "I'm just a trickster."

"Very funny," I mumbled, as he transported to the tree branch hanging above my head. "But how could I contact Papa?"

"Mocking me, and then asking for my help," the Cheshire Cat asked, feigning shock. "Not very wise. Hasn't your father taught you better?"

"I'm sorry," I forced. "Now tell me." He gave me an expectant look, and I said, thought gritted teeth, "Please."

"That's better," he smirked. "And yes, I may know how to contact your father."

"Well how?" I asked eagerly.

"It may not work, but I'll talk you through my plan." I nodded for him to explain, and he said, "I can transport, just as your father can, just as you did, but I don't need a hat."

"How do you do it?"

"You saw as I vanished earlier. I do that, and I focus on a place I would like to go to."

"Remarkable," I commented.

"It's fitting, though, that more magic is found in a cat than in a hat."

"I wonder how much magic is found inside a cat wearing a hat," I remarked, remembering a book I had once read.

"Where on earth did you hear that?" he asked, looking at me as if I was an idiot.

"A book I read," I mumbled, embarrassed.

"That's the biggest piece of rubbish I've ever heard in my life. Do you always believe what you read in books?"

"No!" I cried vehemently.

The Cheshire Cat looked at me doubtfully. "I bet it was a proper book, with an author."

"Of course," I replied. "Why should that make any difference?"

"All truths are published anonymously," he said mysteriously, before completely vanishing from the tree, leaving me alone.

"Cheshire!" I shouted angrily, before heading back to the White Rabbit's home.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Emma returned to the apartment to find Snow sitting on the sofa, a blanket pulled over her knees as she watched television. "Hi mom," she said, sitting down beside the other woman.

"Hi Emma," she said and furrowed her eyebrows upon seeing the melancholy look on her daughter's face. "What's wrong?"

"Jefferson ran out on me," she said, sighing. "We were at Granny's, and he started telling me about Wonderland. And then, he just- I don't know- left. I'm getting sick of it."

"He used to have a wife," Snow said. "Maybe he's having trouble moving on."

"Well I'm still sick of it," Emma told her. "I'm running out of chances."

Snow looked sadly at her daughter. "I know, Emma. And I'm not telling you that you have to give him more chances. I'm just trying to get you to think what he's going through."

"I want to reach out to him. To find out what's wrong," Emma said, setting her head in her hands for the second time that night. "It just makes it difficult that he's always running away. This is madness."

"Love is madness," Snow said, patting her daughter's knee. Emma looked at her skeptically. "Trust me on this one."

"I will," she said, as Snow reached for her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Thanks… Mom."

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N There's the chapter. I love writing the Cheshire Cat. He's so fun.**

**Please review.**


	28. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Rumpelstiltskin returned to the pawnshop, the door loudly banging shut as he entered. "Shh," a voice said from behind the counter. It was Belle, insistently placing her finger against her lips to signal quiet.

"Why?" he asked, walking towards her. "What's wrong?"

"Jefferson will be staying here for awhile." She silenced his impending protests by saying, "He's been having a tough time recently and needs to sort things out. He finally fell asleep. Please… please do not make him." The last sentence was pleading, and he saw her looking at him hopefully.

"Just answer me one question."

"Anything," she agreed, pleased that he would let Jefferson stay.

"Why are you doing this for him?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, touching the tips of his fingers together as he awaited her answer.

"He let me out of the asylum, and he was always kind to me in the Enchanted Forest. I told him that I would repay him," Belle explained. "That's what I'm trying to do."

"Honorable," he said, taking her hand in his. "He can stay."

"Oh thank you!" Belle cried, hugging Rumpelstiltskin from across the counter.

. . . . . . . . . . .

_Jefferson was standing in a field of long grass, and in the distance he could see a white house. "Where am I? he wondered as he walked towards it. As the distance between himself and the home decreased, it became increasingly familiar. A plaque above the door read: W. Rabbit. He felt his hand reach up to knock the door, and no one answered. He pressed his ear to the door, and heard bickering inside._

_ He didn't notice the footsteps behind him until a small, familiar voice sounded. "Papa?"_

_ Jefferson whirled around. "Grace? What on earth are you doing here? This is a dream."_

_ "Why are you in my dream?" Grace asked. "It must just be some sort of illusion."_

_ He nodded, and then asked, "How are you?"_

_ "I'm fine. I'm staying with the White Rabbit and the militia," she replied._

_ "There's a militia?" he asked incredulously._

_ "Yes," she replied. "But they don't do much. I'm supposed to help them, as I am the savior."_

_ "That you are," Jefferson agreed. "What do you think of Wonderland?"_

_ "It's fine so far," Grace remarked. "But the creatures talk a lot."_

_ "They do. Who have you met so far?"_

_ Grace thought over all the creatures she had encountered and said, "The Cheshire Cat, the March Hare, the White Rabbit. All the ones you used to tell me stories about, Papa." She walked towards him and asked, "Is this just a dream?"_

_ He nodded. "Afraid so, sweetheart. But don't worry, you'll be home soon."_

_ "Don't come and get me," she said. "I'll come home. Don't risk yourself."_

_ He shook his head. "I can't do that. I can't leave you here." He mentally added: "as I did your mother."_

_ "You have to," Grace insisted, and then added, "Expect a message."_

_ "What?" he asked, and then looked in horror as she slowly started to vanish._

_ "I'm waking up," she said, her eyes widening as her image began to fade. She looked through her forearm and down at the green grass._

_ "It'll be fine. You're protected here," he told her as she slowly became translucent. _

_ "Goodbye Papa. I love you," she whispered as she vanished from view._

_ "Goodbye Grace," he said to the empty field as he too began to awaken._

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Belle!" Jefferson cried, sitting up abruptly in his bed as his hands flew to the scarf that was still tied around his neck.

He heard two sets of footsteps rushing up the steps and the door burst open, revealing Rumpelstiltskin and Belle. The latter sat down beside him, quickly unknotting the scarf and laying it on the bedside table. "It's okay, Jefferson," she cooed, taking hold of his hands and giving them a reassuring squeeze. "It was just a dream. It's okay."

"It was about Grace," he said, barely noticing the Dark One standing in the doorway. "She was in Wonderland."

"You said she would be safe there," Belle said, pulling his head against her shoulder. "She's safe."

"Race told me not to come and find her," Jefferson whispered. "That she would come home on her own."

"She'll be fine," she muttered, but her curiosity was peaked by his description of the dream. She glanced over at Rumpelstiltskin, who approached the two of them.

"Jefferson," he spoke, and the younger man's eyes shot up, shocked to see him standing there. "Could you describe this dream for me?"

Jefferson nodded, and then began to speak, "It started and I was in field. I saw a house in the distance, and walked towards it, eventually finding it to be the White Rabbit's house. I knocked on the door, and no one came to answer it, but I knew he was home, as I could hear people arguing in the basement. And arguing's a common pastime in Wonderland so…" He realized he was rambling and stopped himself, took a deep breath, and continued with his account of the dream. "Grace was outside, and we started talking. She said that the animals talked a lot, and that she had met the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, and the March Hare, as well as most of the others."

Belle nodded, imagining herself in Wonderland, taking tea with these curious creatures. "Then what did you say?" She prodded Jefferson, who was now staring off into space.

"Oh yes. Then I said that I would come and bring her home. But she told me not to, that she would do it on her own. But I have to find her. I've lost her before." He reached for his neck, and was dismayed to remember that there was no scar there. Belle lowered his hands and beckoned for him to go on. "She told me to expect a message, and I was about to ask her what kind of message, but then she said she was waking up. She started to fade and she was gone. That's about when I woke up."

"What do you think of that?" Belle asked Rumpelstiltskin, who looked deep in thought.

"Well," he began, "the fact that she said she was waking up and beginning to fade, it seems it wasn't _just_ a dream, but that you were meeting in some sort of world contained inside both of your minds. Were you ever both held under the same sort of curse?"

"None, except for Regina's," Jefferson replied.

"And it can't possibly be that," Rumpelstiltskin said. "Since you both have traveled through the hat, there is a certain degree of magic inside you that permits you to communicate in this mock Wonderland."

Jefferson slowly nodded. "You may be right."

"But what sort of message?" Belle asked, confused.

"No idea," Rumpel said, folding his hands over his knee. "Only time will tell."

. . . . . . . . . . .

I woke with a start. "Marie?" I asked into the darkness. "Cheshire?" I stood quietly, trying to shake the dream from my head. _Papa, he was here. _

"Savior," a voice replied, and I could tell it was the Gryphon. "What's the matter?"

"I had a dream, about my Papa. He was here," I explained, sitting down.

"Ow," he said, and I shushed him. "You sat on my tail."

"Sorry," I rushed, moving slightly. "I told Papa not to come looking for me."

The Gryphon was silent for a moment. "That won't stop him. I'm sure he must love you, just as he did Alice."

"That's exactly as I feared," I told him. "And for both of us to go back to Storybrooke, either he would stay here, or he would have to bring someone else along and leave them behind."

"Or, according to your magic," the Gryphon pointed out, "he could tamper with the looking glass somehow. "

I thought about this for a moment and said, "That's a wonderful point, Gryphon."

"Honestly?" he asked, sounding proud.

"Yes honestly," I reassured him.

"Well," he said. "You should probably get to sleep. The Cheshire Cat might try to get to Storybrooke tomorrow, and we both should be ready."

"We should," I agreed, yawning. "I'll see you in the morning, Gryphon." I stood and carefully walked back to my spot on the floor.

"Goodnight," he replied as I settled down and slowly fell back to sleep.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Belle set the tea tray on Jefferson's bedside table and sat down on the edge of the bed. As she fixed herself a cup of tea, his eyes slowly opened. "Belle?"

"Yes," she said as he sat up. "Rumpelstiltskin is out for the day. Would you like some tea?"

Jefferson nodded, and asked, "Why are you doing this?"

Belle smiled at him and handed him his tea, and replied, "You let me out of the asylum, and you've always been so kind to me. You reunited me with Rumpelstiltskin, and now I need to help you find true love and happiness."

"Honestly, Belle? You don't need to, I'll be fine," he protested.

"I know I don't _need _to," she told him. "But I want to. You need to learn to let go, and I want to help you."

"I don't need to let go," he said. "I'm fine. I don't need true love, or whatever you want to call it, I just need to find Grace."

"You love your child," Belle started, and Jefferson nodded. "You love Grace as Emma loves Henry. You know what it's like to love a child and lose them. You've both loved and lost."

"So I can relate to her. That's all," Jefferson huffed.

"It's a start," she said. "She has all the qualities of Alice."

"Emma is not at all the same," he said.

"I know, no one can ever replace Alice, but you should give her a chance, just as she has done for you," Belle pleaded. "Just try?"

Jefferson thought. "We are friends."

"That's a start," she said. "Try, please?"

"Fine," he sighed.

"Good," Belle exclaimed happily. "She's probably at the hospital, with her father."

"Well then," Jefferson said, forcing on a smile, "I'd best be on my way."

. . . . . . . . . . .

Emma sat by her father's bed as Whale stood in the corner. The others had resumed their regular stations since the curse was broken; she sat alone, a book in her hands, though she wasn't reading. She looked at Charming. _Quite a change from whiney David Nolan. _She smirked. He would be fully healed in a few days, and they all knew the moment he left the hospital he would be ready and eager to fight the sphinx again.

_What went wrong with me? _Emma wondered._ Mary Margaret is Snow White, a hero, a warrior, a complete badass. David is a prince, a fighter, a defender. I'm none of those. _Emma stood up and went to her father's side. _I'm no hero. Henry might think I'm one. Everyone might think I'm one. But in no way does that make it true._

She was woken from her ponderings by a hesitant hand on her shoulder. Emma spun around and came face to face with Jefferson. He started to speak, but she cut him off. "Jefferson, I don't want to hear what you have to say."

"But I'm-"

"Sorry? Jefferson, every time we've been alone you've either ran out or attacked me." He took one step forward and Emma grabbed him by the shoulders, pushing him away lightly and quickly exiting the room.

Jefferson stood there for a moment, in dumbfounded silence. _Belle told me to try, and I will. I need to. _Snapping out of it, he turned and bolted for the door. He saw Emma walking across the street, her hands stuffed in her pockets and her head down. "Emma," he called and ran after her, getting in front of her and placing his hands on her shoulders to stop her.

"Get away from me," she said and trying to push him off, but Jefferson only tightened his grip.

"I'm sorry, Emma. I've been in some bad stuff a long time ago, and I'm sure you have to. I think we could help each other." He looked up at her nervously.

She bit her lip thoughtfully as her face softened. "You used to love someone, didn't you?"

"Yes," he admitted. "That's why I'm a bit out of practice. And I'm assuming you did as well."

"I did," she confirmed. "But it was ten years ago. It doesn't matter much anymore."

"I can tell by your tone that it certainly does matter," he told her. "And even after thirty-eight years, it still matters to me."

"What was her name?" Emma asked, as they walked to the sidewalk.

"Alice," Jefferson said.

"Alice in Wonderland. I should've known."

"And what was his name?"

"Neal Cassidy," Emma replied.

Jefferson was quiet. "We could maybe help each other."

"We could," Emma solemnly agreed, reaching for his hand. _What are you doing? _Emma asked herself. _A few minutes ago you never wanted to see him. _He looked down at her sadly, and she knew they both needed someone to comfort them. "I'll help you, and you'll help me."

. . . . . . . . . . .

I walked up the steps to the dining room. The Cheshire Cat floated above the table and all the other creatures crowded around it.

"I'll deliver the message," he said when he saw me. "You'll need to write it first." The other creatures looked solemn, for once not all talking at once or arguing.

"Pen and paper?" I asked, and Marie handed it to me. I sat down at the table and all of the creatures immediately crowded around me.

"Give her some space," the White Rabbit commanded and they backed up. I gave him a thankful glance. I thought for a moment before I began to write my letter.

_Dear Papa,_

_I am here in Wonderland. I have met many of the creatures so far and they are all very friendly. I am sending you this letter to tell you that I am safe, and that I intend to fulfill my destiny of saving Wonderland. Only once I complete this task, will I come home. Please don't come after me, don't risk it. I'll be safe. Anyways, how are things in Storybrooke? Tell everyone I said hello. _

_Also, make sure the Cheshire Cat comes back to Wonderland. But don't follow him, I'm begging you Papa._

_Love, Grace_

I looked up from my letter. "I'm finished," I said, folding the paper and handing it to the Cheshire Cat.

"Now, would you care to describe Storybrooke?"

I nodded and closed my eyes as I recreated it in my mind. "It's a small town in Maine, and there's a clock tower in the center of town. It's a white building. The sky is generally bluish grey. Around the clock tower, there are shops. There's a diner called Granny's and a pawnshop, and a drugstore, and a grocery store. And there's the sheriff's office, where Emma works. Right across the street is the hospital. At the end of the street is the school building, with benches and a playground at front." I opened my eyes to see him beginning to fade as he focused on the place. "You'll be back, right?"

"Yes," he said.

"How can I trust you?" I skeptically inquired.

He replied in a serious tone, "Because I always keep my word." With that, he completely vanished from sight.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N There's the chapter. I'm sorry I didn't post a new chapter yesterday, but I had this thing to go to at my school at seven and by the time I got home I was really tired. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Please review.**


	29. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Jefferson left the sheriff's office, thinking over the talk he had with Emma over a cup of tea. Feeling relieved that she had forgiven him and that he had completed Belle's wish, he walked towards his car. A voice behind him caused hi to whirl around, overcome with confusion, hope, and nostalgia. "Hello old friend."

He spun on his heel and saw, a few feet away, the Cheshire Cat, sitting with his long tail curled around his paws. His green eyes were wide as he regarded the hatter and his tail twitched. "Long time, no see," the cat purred as Jefferson looked at him in mingled shock and terror. _Maybe he's here to tell me about Grace. Maybe she's dead. Maybe I'm madder than I thought, and he's just an illusion._

"Ch-Chess," Jefferson said in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"I am here," the cat said, walking towards Jefferson, and attracting the attention of the other residents, "to deliver a message. From our savior, your darling Grace."

"Is she all right?" Jefferson asked, as Regina began to curiously walk towards the two.

"Why yes, she's fine," the Cheshire Cat replied as a folded piece of paper appeared inches above his head and fell to the ground at his feet. "And _this_," he gestured to the paper, "is her message."

"What the hell is this?" Regina asked, her hands on her hips.

"Well. Your Majesty," Jefferson said, casting a smirk to the Cheshire Cat, "this is a letter from Grace." He picked up the paper and tucked it into his pocket.

"You know very well what I mean, Jefferson. What is with the cat?" she restated, not amused.

The Cheshire Cat grinned at her as he suspended himself a few feet in the air; Regina looked taken aback. "I, my lady, am the Cheshire Cat. I know you, but I am _sure _you do not know me."

"You're… from Wonderland?" Regina asked, her eyes narrowing. "How did you get here?"

"I travel through worlds, and that's all you need to know of it," the Cheshire Cat replied.

Regina looked spitefully at the two of them, who were exchanging grins. "Well, what does that letter say?"

"Absolutely, none of your business," Jefferson replied immaturely, and the Cheshire Cat's grin widened, happy to have bothered the Queen. In general, he didn't particularly like queens, and this one was no exception.

"Old friend," the cat spoke, "how about we go to the nearest restaurant to discuss the contents of this letter?"

"Sounds wonderful," he agreed, and the queen looked on angrily as they moved towards Granny's; Jefferson walking and the Cheshire Cat floating languidly towards the destination.

. . . . . . . . . . .

The Cheshire Cat vanished from view, and we were all silent for a few moments. "Do you think he's there yet?" I asked.

"Most likely," the White Rabbit replied. "He's probably already met up with the Hatter."

"Well," Bill said. "Thinking about it won't help any of us. We might as well get busy."

"I thought you didn't do anything here," I said, feeling foolish.

"We don't," he explained. "But you're the savior, and we need to prepare to take on the Queen of Hearts." I suppose it dawned on me then: that to save Wonderland, I would need to fight. I had never considered myself the hero type, or even especially brave.

"We'll need weapons," I began, "and a lot more of us." I looked at the unimpressive number gathered in the living room. "So, we'll assign tasks for the day. Marie, White Rabbit, Gryphon and I will recruit people. Bill," the lizard looked up at me. "You will take the rest and find weapons. Okay?"

They all nodded. Bill spoke up, asking, "Where exactly should we look for weapons?"

I thought for a moment before responding, "You don't actually need to bring any weapons back. Look near the Queen's castle." They all gasped in terror, looking at me with wide eyes. "We can steal them later."

They looked at me like I was an idiot. "No one steals from the Queen of Hearts," the March Hare spoke up, and it was the first time he had spoken since the night before.

"Well someone's got to," I persisted, feeling strangely strong. "And I guess it will have to be me, unless any of you would like to come along."

They exchanged worried and astonished glances. "Well?" I asked impatiently, anxious to do _something_; to get one step closer to home.

"I would go with you," Marie said boldly, and all heads swerved to look at her. "I may not be anything like your father," she stammered, looking downwards under the creatures' scornful gaze, "but I can try to be of use."

"Thank you," I said, looking meaningfully at the others, "for your bravery. I'm lucky to be in the company of someone as loyal as you."

This prompted the White Rabbit to step forward. "And I certainly will help as well."

I nodded in his direction. "All right," I said. "Now, let's get to work."

. . . . . . . . . . .

The Cheshire Cat and Jefferson entered the diner, and several turned to look at them. "A cat?" Red asked, walking towards them while wiping her hands on a towel. "You know, wolves don't like cats," she said, laughing.

"And cats aren't especially fond of wolves," he shot back, and she looked surprised.

"This is the Cheshire Cat," Jefferson introduced, "and this is Red."

"Pleasure to meet you," she said. He nodded, and she led them to a booth. "You can sit here, can't you?"

"Of course I can," he said petulantly.

Jefferson shot him a glare. "She's just being polite," he told the Cheshire Cat. "Thanks Red."

"No problem," she said, handing them their menus and then moving onto another table.

"I'm assuming you want tea," the cat said, setting his menu down. When Jefferson nodded, he added, "I'll have the same."

"Is Grace okay?" Jefferson asked urgently, abandoning his calm façade and throwing the menu down on the table.

The Cheshire Cat nodded. "Yes, yes. She's fine. I would not let _anything_ happen to the savior of Wonderland."

"Better not," Jefferson mumbled, looking down at his hands.

"No need to be so bitter," the cat said, floating up and rolling over so his stomach was facing the ceiling. "She's fine. The White Rabbit is taking care of her. And your dear old friend the March Hare."

At the last name Jefferson groaned. "I'm supposed to trust _him _with my daughter?"

The Cheshire Cat rolled his eyes. "He's not that bad. Just a little rough around the edges…"

"And just a tad bit _insane,_" Jefferson said, putting his head in his hands.

"Just as you are," the cat said. "Just as we all are. He would never intentionally hurt Grace."

"That may be true," Jefferson spoke, lifting his head and trying to calm himself. "But he could _un_intentionally hurt her."

"Just as we all could," the Cheshire Cat replied, sounding uninterested. "We are all capable of harming Grace, let's just try not to," he hissed as Red returned to the table.

Her eyes shifted from the cat suspended in midair and the frustrated man seating on the red chair. "Can I take your order?"

"A kettle of tea and two glasses please," the cat said, looking down at Jefferson. "If that's fine with you."

He quickly nodded. "That's fine."

"I'll bring that to you right away," Red said cheerfully, ignoring the tense atmosphere and then moved to the kitchen.

"So, your daughter," the Cheshire Cat resumed, settling back into his seat. "She's very keen on saving Wonderland. And not very keen on you coming to save her."

"Why not?" Jefferson asked.

The Cheshire Cat regarded him thoughtfully. "Well, to be honest, you aren't much of the hero-"

"I don't really care about your opinion right now, Chess," Jefferson said. "I-"

"Talking to a cat?" Emma interrupted, standing by the door with her arms crossed over her chest. "Seriously?"

"This is the Cheshire Cat," Jefferson said as Emma slid into the seat beside him. "This is Emma."

The cat nodded, instantly recognizing the name. "The savior."

"Yes," he said, and Emma interjected, "No."

"Really?" the Cheshire Cat asked, looking at her curiously.

"Well, I broke the curse, but that doesn't make me a savior," she said forcefully.

"I believe it does," the cat replied absentmindedly, his tail flicking back and forth.

"No it doesn't," Emma protested vehemently.

Jefferson laughed. "Now who's arguing with a cat?"

Emma shook her head. "Why are you even here?"

"Delivering a message for _my world's _savior," he said. "Grace."

"And what does it say?" she asked. The cat nodded towards Jefferson and Emma inquired, "What does Grace have to say?"

Jefferson unfolded the letter and began to read:

_Dear Papa,_

_I am here in Wonderland. I have met many of the creatures so far and they are all very friendly. I am sending you this letter to tell you that I am safe, and that I intend to fulfill my destiny of saving Wonderland. Only once I complete this task, will I come home. Please don't come after me, don't risk it. I'll be safe. Anyways, how are things in Storybrooke? Tell everyone I said hello. _

_Also, make sure the Cheshire Cat comes back to Wonderland. But don't follow him, I'm begging you Papa._

_Love, Grace_

"Well?" Emma asked.

Jefferson took a deep breath. "She's going to save Wonderland, and she doesn't want me to help."

"She certainly doesn't mean like that," she said, immediately understanding how that could be interpreted. "She just doesn't want you to get hurt."

"I'll have to help her," Jefferson said. "I'll go to Wonderland with you," he told the cat.

"Didn't your daughter just specifically ask you _not _to follow me?" the Cheshire Cat asked.

"I need to, I can't let the Queen kill her."

"Like she did Alice?" the cat said, and immediately regretted it.

Jefferson looked numb, the paper crumpling in his hands as he quietly asked, "Alice is dead?"

"Yes," the Cheshire Cat said. "I'm sorry."

"You should be," Emma shot back.

"As if you've never been the bearer of bad news," the cat replied.

Emma rolled her eyes. "I have, but that's not something you drop out of the blue."

"How did it happen?" Jefferson asked, his quiet voice instantly silencing all of them.

"A beheading, naturally," the cat replied.

Jefferson closed his eyes, trying to keep himself together. "At least now I know," he said. "We can continue this conversation later." Emma moved to allow him out of the booth. "Sorry I'm running out on you… yet again."

"It's okay," Emma said empathetically. "If you need anything, just give me a call."

"Thanks," Jefferson muttered, before turning and sharply exiting the diner.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N Hi guys. I'm so sorry I didn't update for so long. No excuses for that. I'll try to get a chapter out tomorrow. **

**Also, no one reviewed for the last chapter, so I'm kind of concerned. I'm guessing maybe it wasn't that great of a chapter. If you guys have any suggestions on how to improve, I will gladly accept them.**

**Please review.**


	30. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Marie, the Gryphon, the White Rabbit and I wandered through the forest, searching for someone to support our cause. I walked below a low hanging branch and went around the bend of a tree. I spotted a bed of red roses. "There are some roses up there," I said to them. "Maybe they could help?"

The three exchanged glances, and I could tell a multitude of plans were running through their heads. They then nodded, agreeing on a course of action. Marie sprung forward and tackled me to the ground before pulling me behind the tree. I screamed as I saw the White Rabbit draw a knife. Marie shushed me. "It's all right." The Gryphon and the Rabbit rushed forward towards the flowers, and judging by the stuffy, high-pitched screams, they were pulling them up from the roots and chopping them up. "It's fine now. Calm down," Marie whispered to me as they returned.

"Thank goodness flowers don't bleed," said the White Rabbit to the Gryphon. "This suit is new. It would be a shame to ruin it."

"What was that?" I asked, my voice shaky as I slowly dragged myself to my feet. "Why did you destroy those roses?"

"Don't you know anything about Wonderland?" Marie asked, looking at me like I was an idiot. I honestly felt like one as the three exchanged looks.

"The roses are the Queen's spies," the Gryphon explained, looking at me kindly. "Her soldiers pass by the gardens each day and they report all that they have seen. If they told them that they saw you, we would all be in danger."

"So… you're afraid of a bunch of flowers?" I asked, bewildered.

The White Rabbit sighed. "They're in league with the Queen of Hearts! It would be horrible if they found out about the savior!"

"She would rip out your heart," Marie said. "Or chop off your head!"

"Like she did to my parents?" I asked, remembering how Papa had always fingered his neck as he talked about the Queen.

"Exactly," the Gryphon nodded. "And no one wants that."

"Course not," I mumbled, brushing myself off from the fall I took. Forcing on a cheerful tone, I said, "Well, let's go find some recruits."

They all nodded and we continued along the path, trudging over the fallen rose petals and thorns.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Emma sat back down across from the Cheshire Cat and demanded, "Why did you have to tell him about Alice?"

"It was something he needed to know," the cat replied. "Besides, I did you a favor."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

The Cheshire Cat rolled his eyes. "Oh come on. I saw the way you looked at him. Now, maybe he'll move past Alice and onto you." He shrugged at the simple logic of the situation.

"You're an ass," Emma concluded, standing up from the table. "And I don't appreciate that 'favor'. Jefferson's my friend, and I'm going to go make sure he's okay. Enjoy your tea," she said shortly. She rushed out of the diner into the cold afternoon and automatically pulled her red leather jacket more tightly against her. She rushed across the street and towards the pawnshop, where Jefferson was staying. She pushed open the door and stepped inside, greeted by the warmth and the ringing of the bell over the door.

"Miss Swan," Rumpelstiltskin greeted from behind the counter. "And how may I help you?"

"Did Jefferson come here?" she asked, taking a step towards the counter.

Rumpel shook his head. "Not since this morning. Why?"

"I need to talk to him," Emma rushed, placing her hand against the door. "Do you have any idea where he might be?"

"I'd check the library," the man replied, and Emma nodded her thanks before hurrying out of the shop.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Bill hushed the lizards as they approached the Queen's castle. They stopped their incoherent noises and followed him, careful not to step on any twigs or stray hedgehogs. "I don't see anything of interest," he said, looking at the field and the guards stationed around it, holding various axes and swords. "Too tricky to take weapons off them."

Hearing a rustling in the surrounding bushes, Bill spun around, poised to run. A few moments of silence, more racing footsteps. A figure broke out of the hedges and knocked into the lizard, knocking him to the ground. "Sorry," the voice said, and Bill looked up to see the March Hare, looking apologetic.

"Where were you?" Bill asked, laboriously getting to his feet.

The March Hare explained, "I got thirsty, so I went to look for someone who could supply me with a warm cup of tea. I found a cottage not far from here, and it may be of interest."

"Hare, for once you're not being absolutely bonkers," Bill said. "So I'll trust you on this one. Lead the way."

The Hare nodded, and led them through the brush, while Bill warned the other lizards to keep quiet. They arrived at a clearing, and in the center stood a cottage, as the Hare had described. Bill beckoned for them to stay back, and he stepped into the clearing, walking stealthily towards the cottage. Peeking into a window, he saw a storeroom, full of all sorts of weapons. "Got to be some sort of catch," Bill muttered as he turned to return to the others.

"Weapons?" the Hare asked. Bill nodded, and they all turned and left, planning on reporting their findings to the savior. As they made their return to the White Rabbit's estate, they didn't notice the man following after them.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Belle placed the books on the shelf, smiling as her fingers ran lovingly over the spines. She loved the library and was glad she had been able to clean it up and reopen. Hearing the bell ringing in the front, she turned to look at the newcomer. She found, to her utter shock, Jefferson, frantic and anguished. "Jefferson?" she asked, rushing towards him and placing her hands on his shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied, trying to push past her.

"Stop," she told him, trying to hold him in place. "I'll make tea, and we can talk about it. Is it Grace? Did you talk to Emma?"

Jefferson zoned her words out after her mention of tea. Without fail, tea always made him think of Alice and Grace, the two who always seemed to be lost to him. "Please," he begged. "Just let me go."

Belle instantly released her grip on his shoulders, something in his voice setting her off. He walked past her, and she turned to watch as he climbed up the stairs towards the top of the clock tower.

Biting a lip, she moved back to the shelf and resumed sorting the books. _What on earth could have happened? _Belle mused. It hit her, and she said in whisper, "He's a man that's lost everything. That would make me sad, too."

She walked towards the counter and opened her novel, _To Kill A Mockingbird_. She is absorbed in the book until the door slams open. "Is he here?"

Belle looks up to see Emma standing in the doorway, looking anxious. "Jefferson? Is he here?"

"Upstairs," Belle replied, the book tightly grasped in her hand.

Emma forced a weak smile in thanks. She rushed to the back of the library and ran up the stairs, her shoes clicking against the linoleum. She reached the top of the steps and found a narrow hallway leading to a little room. One wall of the room was covered in gears, which Emma knew belonged to the clock.

"Jefferson?" she asked, finding him seated on the ground, his back resting against the wall. Emma sits beside him, glancing at him nervously. His fists are clenched and his eyes are red, stained with tears.

"She's gone," he whispers, more to himself than anyone else. "I left her."

Emma let out a sigh, placing her hand over his. "It's not your fault."

Jefferson looked up at her. "It is. You don't get it."

"What is there to get?" Emma asked, trying to keep her voice tender. "You need to stop blaming yourself for everything."

"But everything is my fault," he protested, wiping at his eyes.

She tightened her grip on his hand and said, "We all make mistakes. We all need to find a way to fix them."

"Grace never knew her mother," Jefferson said. "And it's all my fault."

"What did you do, then?" Emma inquired.

Jefferson breathed out and explained, "She told me to leave her, and I took Grace and ran. I shouldn't have done it."

"But then Grace wouldn't have had a father," Emma said softly. "You need to make sacrifices, Jefferson. Maybe Alice wanted you to be with Grace."

"She did," he remarked. "She told me to protect her. But I failed, countless times."

"But you tried," Emma insisted. "And even though Alice is gone, Grace will fulfill her destiny, and then she'll be home."

"You don't know the Queen of Hearts like I do," Jefferson said bitterly. "She won't let Grace live, knowing she wants to overthrow her."

"You have to believe in her," Emma said, her words reminding her an awful lot of Henry. "She'll come home. She'll be protected. That Cheshire Cat may be an ass, but he won't let anyone hurt her."

"I know that. But none of them will stand any of a chance," he restated. "She'll kill them. And she'll draw it out."

"Please, Jefferson," Emma said. "I hate it when you're upset."

"How can I not be upset?" Jefferson roared. "My old friend showed up, told me my daughter didn't want me, that I was crazy, and that Alice was dead. Am I supposed to be happy?"

"Hey!" Emma cried, standing up. "Don't take it out on me! I just want to make sure you're okay."

"Why does it matter? Why can't everyone just leave me alone?"

"Because there are people that care about you. That _love_ you. Why won't you let us?"

"It never works out," Jefferson replied. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

Emma shook her head, sitting down again, this time across from him. "More like you're afraid of hurting yourself," she said with a soft smile. He looked up at her, trying to smile back, his eyes now dry.

"You're probably right," he said, swallowing. "I'm afraid to hurt myself. To shut down again."

Emma furrowed her eyebrows. "Shut down?"

"To be like I was when I worked for Rumpel," he explained. "The way I used to be. Before Alice, before Grace."

"Greedy, selfish?" Emma guessed and Jefferson nodded. "I used to be sort of like that. Before Henry found me."

Jefferson laughed lightly. "We both sound so full of regret."

"Maybe we are," Emma replied, laughing along. "But we'll be fine. Eventually. Good always triumphs."

"Listening to Snow?" he asked teasingly, leaning forward.

"No. David," she corrected, looking at him warily.

"You know," Jefferson said, smiling. "You're the product of true love."

Emma laughed slightly, and her breath intermingled with his. "Funny that I can't find my own," she remarked, snaking her hand to the back of his head and crashing her lips against his. Jefferson was shocked at first, but the kissed her back, their lips pressed against each other's tightly. Jefferson felt himself reverting to the more selfish part of himself as he wrapped his arms around Emma's waist, pulling her closer to him.

They broke apart, Emma laying her forehead against Jefferson as she breathed deeply. "Sorry," she said, between gulps of air.

"Don't be sorry," he told her, laughing. "You have no reason to be sorry."

Emma smiled, planting a tender kiss on his lips. Diving back in for another, the clock rang, marking the hour. The sound filled the room, almost deafeningly. She fell away from Jefferson, covering her ears. Once the clock fell silent, she said faintly, "Damn, that was loud."

Jefferson laughed, getting to his feet and helping her up. "We should probably head down."

Emma nodded, and they turned and headed down the stairs in silence as the light faded in the little room.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N Okay. What do you think? I'm sorry it took so long. Anyways, I've reached 100 reviews. Thank you guys so much! You're all amazing.**

**Please review.**


	31. Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

We reached the Mock Turtle's cave by the time the sun was suspended in the center of the sky. "He lives in there?" I asked.

The Gryphon nodded. "Not safe to be out. The Queen of Hearts has a fondness for Mock Turtle Soup."

I wanted to tell him that I doubted mock turtle soup was made of literal mock turtles, but judging by the seriousness in his voice, I decided against it. "Let's go in," I offered. Confused by their silence, asked, "Is he dangerous?"

"Not at all," the Gryphon said, stepping towards the mouth of the cave. "They just don't like him. I'll accompany you."

"Thank you," I said gratefully and we entered the cave, leaving Marie and the White Rabbit outside.

As we progressed deeper into the cave, I got more fearful, because of the increasing darkness and the sound of sobs. "What's that?" I asked in a whisper.

"The Mock Turtle," the Gryphon said with much sadness. "It's not much farther now."

I nodded, and in the far distance there was a faint light. "There?"

"Yep," the Gryphon said, and his pace increased. I speeded up to match it and once we reached the ring of light, I was face to face with the Mock Turtle. He had the body of a turtle and the head and legs of a calf.

"Are you the Mock Turtle?" I asked, in an attempt to drown out his wails.

He managed to silence himself and say, "Yes I am. And who are you?"

I was about to respond, but he erupted in tears again and the Gryphon moved to comfort him.

"S'okay now," he muttered to the turtle. "This is the savior."

The Mock Turtles wailings immediately ceased and he asked, "The savior? The daughter of Alice?"

"And Jefferson," I added with a small smile.

"See?" the Gryphon said. "Not all hope is lost."

"You'll save us," the Mock Turtle said, his eyes so full of hope and melancholy and wonder that I sucked in a breathe.

"Y-yes," I said shakily. "I'll save you. Each of you."

"'cept the Queen," the Gryphon reminded me.

"Except the Queen," I confirmed. Focusing back on the Mock Turtle, I said, "Would you like to join our ranks?"

He nodded. "I'll try to be of use."

"We appreciate it," I said, smiling. "We best find more recruits."

"Yes," the Gryphon agreed. "We've hardly accomplished anything."

I nodded. "Now let's get back to the others."

On that note, the three of us left the cave.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Belle entered the pawnshop and greeted Rumpelstiltskin, who stood behind the counter. "What are you doing?" she asked, walking towards him and looking into the box that sat open on the counter.

"Looking at potions," he said, and she scowled. "What? There's nothing wrong with these."

"You promised me you would give up magic," she said, pointedly. "You promised you would change."

"There's no chance of that, dearie," Rumpel told her.

Belle frowned. "You promised we could be together."

"We can't without magic," Rumpel said. "I need to protect you."

"I'd rather get hurt," Belle muttered, backing up.

"Where are you going?" he asked, slamming the box shut.

"You lied," she said, turning for the door.

Belle heard Rumpel say her name as she closed the door and walked angrily down the street, shivering as the cold wind hit her. She kept her head angled down as she moved, until she walked into someone and her head snapped up.

"Sorry," the man said.

"It's my fault," Belle said. "I'm Belle by the way. And you are?"

"James," he replied, and they shook hands.

The name seemed familiar and Belle asked, "As in Prince James?"

He nodded. "I'm going to the diner to meet up with Snow. Do you want to come to? You look like you need some company."

"Thank you. I would love to," she responded, smiling. They turned and walked across the street, entering the diner.

Snow and Red sat at a table, each with a cup of hot cocoa. "Charming!" Snow cried, seeing her husband. She stood from the table and rushed into his arms.

"Snow," he said, his hands wrapping around her waist. Belle looked on awkwardly before moving to the table where Red sat.

"I'm Belle," she said, sticking out her hand to the woman.

"Red," she replied, shaking Belle's hand. "You can sit down."

"Thanks," Belle said, sitting down across from Red. "Are they always like that?" she asked, gesturing to Snow and Charming.

Red nodded, stifling a laugh. "Most of the time."

Belle sighed, thinking of Rumpel as she rested her chin on her hand.

"Do you need to talk?" Red asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," Belle lied. "Just a little something I need to sort out."

Red nodded. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks," Belle said as Snow and Charming came to join them at the table.

"Where are you from, Belle?" Snow asked.

"From the Enchanted Forest," Belle replied. "During the curse, I was stuck in the asylum."

Charming's eyes widened. "Regina locked you up?"

"Yes," Belle said, and from far off, they could hear a distinct crash. Their eyes snapped towards the door, which slammed open, and revealed Grumpy standing there.

"Grumpy?" Snow asked, hopping up from her seat.

He swallowed, and said, "The Sphinx is free."

. . . . . . . . . . .

We returned to the White Rabbit's house with quite a few recruits: pigs, the Mock Turtle, the Duchess, two oversized puppies, and the reluctant Caterpillar. The Rabbit unlocked the door and we entered to find the place empty.

"All of you go down to the basement," Marie said, ushering them all down the stairs, except for the two overgrown puppies, who had to remain outside. I sat down at the dining room table and let out a deep sigh. _So much to do, _I mused. _How to accomplish it all._

Marie stepped into the room and took a seat beside me. "Worried?"

"Sort of," I said. "More overwhelmed. There's so much to do."

She smiled. "You're the savior, and we all know you'll be the one to save Wonderland."

"It's not that easy," I protested. "We need weapons. And probably more recruits."

"The future is already written," she said. "And you will save us."

I smiled slightly as the door burst open. "We found a place!" Bill cried, and I stood from the table and walked into the entrance hall with Marie following behind me.

"Where?" I asked.

"It was a little cottage near her palace," the Hare picked up. "Unguarded."

I furrowed my eyebrows suspiciously. "Unguarded?" I asked.

Bill nodded, and asked, "Why?"

"Doesn't it seem sort of suspicious to you?"

His eyes widened. "It'll be fine," Bill said, but he seemed unsure.

The White Rabbit beckoned them to hurry inside and then shut the door and bolted it.

"As if that will hold out the Queen of Hearts," Marie muttered, and I tried to ignore her.

. . . . . . . . . . .

As Jefferson and Emma were descending the stairs to the library, they heard a loud crash. "What the hell is that?" Emma asked, and they rushed down the stairs and to the windows of the library, peering out at the street.

They heard a loud flapping of wings from above and saw a small figure in the street. "Henry!" Emma cried, pushing open the door and rushing outside before Jefferson could stop her. "Henry!" she shouted again, running towards him. "What are you doing?"

"It's the sphinx," he said, pointing up at the beast perched on the mayor's house. The sphinx had its eyes directed upwards, watching the night sky. "She got loose."

"Henry," Emma said desperately, her voice louder than it should have been. "We have to get inside." At the sound of her voice, the sphinx's head snapped down, her eyes zoning in on them. With an ear-shattering screech, it jumped into the air, and flew towards them.

"Go Henry!" Emma cried, pushing him out of the way and ducking, hoping the sphinx would miss her. She flattened herself on the asphalt and heard the sphinx zoom past.

Jefferson came out of the library and ran towards Emma, helping her to her feet and pulling her towards the diner. "Emma!" Snow cried, wrapping her daughter in a hug. "Are you okay?"

"What the hell just happened?" Emma asked weakly.

"You saved me," Henry said, happily.

"Hello?" Grumpy said. "Sorry to break this up, but we need to do something about that thing."

Jefferson nodded and Charming said, "I propose we fight it."

"Isn't that the obvious course of action?" asked the Cheshire Cat, who had appeared suspended above the counter.

"You're the Cheshire Cat!" Henry exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes," Chess replied. "And you're the son of that _charming _Emma Swan."

"None of this bickering is helping anything," Belle interjected, and everyone turned to face her. "We're going to have to fight."

"We tried fighting it before," Red said.

"But this time," Snow pointed out, "there are more of us." They looked over each other, finding confidence in their numbers.

"True," Charming said. "Fighting is the only option."

"You all are rather persistent here, aren't you?" Chess asked, but was ignored.

Snow nodded in response to Charming. "We have to fight. Do you all have weapons?"

Many of them nodded, except for Belle, Emma, and Jefferson, to whom Snow handed swords. "I don't know how to use this," Belle said.

"I'm sure you'll find another way to help," Red said reassuringly, and Belle returned her smile.

"Everyone ready?" Charming asked, and was met with mutters in the affirmative. "Let's go then," he said, and they filed out of the diner into the street.

. . . . . . . . . . .

The White Rabbit and I sat at the table in a comfortable silence as I looked out the window into the night. "What time is it?" I asked, my fingers drumming against the table.

He pulled his watch out of the pocket of his waistcoat and opened it before saying, "10:06."

"Thanks." I nodded as a knock sounded at the door. I stand from my seat at the table and go to the door. Opening it, I am taken aback to see the Knave of Hearts standing there, flustered and out of breathe.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you all for all the kind reviews! It means so much to me.**

**Please review.**


	32. Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One

My eyes widened as they fell on the Knave. "What are you doing here?" I asked as the White Rabbit stood from the table in the next room.

"Who is it, Grace?" he inquired, freezing as he saw our visitor. "Don't let him in," he said quietly, not taking his eyes from the Knave as I glanced at him. He was tensed with distrust, his eyes ablaze with fury.

The March Hare peeked out from behind the door. "It's all right," I told him, before looking back at the Knave. He fidgeted nervously in the doorway as I heard more steps coming up the stairs.

The Knave glanced up at me, and I thought of what he did to Papa, to the mother I never knew. Letting out a breath, I quietly said, "Come in."

"Excuse me?" the White Rabbit asked. "Do you know who this is?"

"The Knave of Hearts, I know," I stated as I ushered him inside. "Let's just hear him out."

"We can't do that," Bill said. "You know what he's done. He can't be trusted."

I didn't respond as I bolted the door shut. "Come on," I said to the Knave, leading him to the dining room.

"You're an idiot," Marie simply told me, crossing her arms. "You just dug your own grave."

"I'm hearing him out," I explained exasperatedly as the Knave sat, his eyes traveling over the creatures that were crowding into the dining room. "I want to know why he's here."

"You know why he's here," she said. "You're making a mistake."

"Too late to fix it now," Bill muttered, and the group of lizards squeaked in agreement behind him.

I turn away from them and took a seat across from the Knave. I licked my dry lips once before asking, "Why are you here?"

"I'm on the run from the Queen," he replied, and I heard the White Rabbit scoff. "I angered her deeply."

"What did you do?" I inquired, shooting a venomous glance at the White Rabbit. I saw him cringe as his face fell.

The Knave was about to reply when Marie broke in, saying, "No need to take it out on us." She walked towards the table, placing her hands on the smooth surface of it. "All we want to do is protect you. And now you're putting us all in jeopardy, for the man who killed your mother and kept your father from you." I opened my mouth to speak, but shut it, sucking in a breath. "_You're no savior_," she whispered and every word stung as she moved away from the table.

"That was a bit harsh," the Gryphon pointed out, casting me a sympathetic look. I brushed it aside, glancing over at the Knave.

"Let's find you a place to sleep," I said, offering a weak smile as I stood from the table. He followed me as I found a room in the White Rabbit's home. "Here you go," I told him, finding a room white blue walls and a plain white bedspread.

"Thank you." The Knave stepped inside.

I shrugged. "No problem… Sleep well." I shut the door, going back to the dining room, where they were all still crowded. "What are you planning?" I asked. "To kill me?"

"No, Grace, no," the Gryphon said. "We couldn't dream of it."

I glanced over at Marie, who quickly turned her head. "I'm sure quite a few of you are considering it." I walk to the table, laying my hand on it, but not sitting down. "Most of you probably hate me now. But you should keep me alive. If not for my sake, for my Papa's."

"Grace," the White Rabbit said. "We have no intention of killing you."

"We just think you're an idiot," Marie added quickly.

The March Hare spoke up for the first time that night. "No need to be hostile. Why don't we each have a cup of tea and smooth things over?"

I smiled lightly. "That sounds nice," I murmured.

"We still can't ignore the fact that the man in the next room wants each of us dead," Bill pointed out. He glanced at me and asked, "You do know that, right?"

"Yes," I replied. Thinking for a moment, I said, "Someone must have led him here."

Bill's eyes widened as he looked around before nervously piping up, "Us." We looked at him and he continued, "That's why the house was unguarded. It was a trap."

We all exchanged nervous looks, unsure of what to do. In the back of the crowd, a sob escaped the Mock Turtle. "We could decide in the morning?" the White Rabbit suggested, stifling a yawn as he dangled his pocket watch in front of him.

"We've all had a long day," Bill said. "Time for sleep, savior."

I nodded slowly. "It has been a long day," I agreed. "Goodnight." I took the steps two at a time down to the basement, curling up on the floor and pulling a blanket over me. I felt the tears slowly streaming down my face. _I'm no savior, _I thought, drawing my knees up to my chest.

Slowly, the others came down to the basement, and I slowly drifted to sleep, lulled by their steady breathing and low voices.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Jefferson looked up at the sphinx, which was perched atop the clock tower. He glanced nervously at Emma and the others, and found their expressions to be set and determined.

Snow strung her bow and aimed it at the sphinx, preparing to attack, as Charming raised his sword.

"Do we have any plans?" Belle asked Red.

"No," she replied. "Just don't get hurt. If you do, there'll be hell to pay for all of us."

"Because of Rumpel?" Red nodded as the sphinx let out a cry and swooped down towards them.

Snow released an arrow and it buried itself in the sphinx's shoulder. The sphinx struck out its paw in response, tossing a few people to the side.

"Damn," Red muttered, stringing her bow and releasing an arrow. Belle looked startled and looked around at the others, who were all prepared to fight. Except for Jefferson, who was struggling to find a way to manage the sword. He glanced back at her and managed a small smile. She returned it gently as the sphinx landed before them.

Emma raised her sword instinctively, grasping the hilt with two hands as the sphinx swiped a paw over their heads. She reached up with her sword, the blade cutting the creature. The creature retaliated by stomping down with one clawed paw, as the crowd dispersed, running in opposite directions.

Snow strung her bow again, releasing another arrow that landed in the sphinx's shoulder, like the previous one had.

The dwarves began firing crossbows and hacking at the sphinx's feet with their axes. The sphinx grew agitated, letting out a howl and swatting them away with her paw.

Red shot an arrow at the sphinx and it turned sharply, it's eyes zoning in on her and Belle. The sphinx took a lunging step towards them as Red strung her bow, aiming for the creature's eye. "Go," she hissed to Belle, not looking at her. "To Rumpelstiltskin."

When Belle remained still, her eyes traveling from Red, to the beast, to the pawnshop, Red yelled, "Go!"

Red's voice sprung Belle into action as she drew away and rushed across the street to the pawnshop, the sword clumsily hitting the ground. She heard the sphinx shriek behind her and stumble back, creating vibrations in the earth beneath her feet. She reached the pawnshop and opened the door, stepping inside and banging it shut behind her, sucking in deep breaths.

"Belle?" Rumpelstiltskin questioned from behind the counter, instantly appearing at her side. "_You _were out there? I thought you were in the library." He looked at her uneasily, worry etched into his face.

"I wanted to help out," Belle replied, forcing on a small smile. "But I'm not the best fighter." She glanced out the window. "They could really use your help out there."

Rumpel sighed. "All right," he complied reluctantly. "But you stay here," he ordered, wrapping a hand around her wrist.

"All right," Belle said with a quick nod as he slipped out the door. She pressed her face against the window, watching as he vanished into the crowd of people.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Regina heard the sphinx's cry, and it brought her to her window, looking out over the usually quiet street. She now found it to be full of people, attempting to fight off the beast.

She recognized Snow and Charming at the head of the group, and her lips twisted into a cynical grin. _Just what they deserve, _she thought bitterly.

She was about to turn from the window when she recognized Jefferson. Regina squinted her eyes to see him better; his long coat, a dark scarf, and a sword clutched awkwardly in his hand. "Jefferson," she murmured, biting her lip.

She drummed her fingers against the windowsill. This was the man who could take her anywhere with the drop of a hat, who would eventually cave to any request. _It would be a shame to lose him, _she silently remarked, turning from the window and grabbing her coat off the back of a chair. She pulled it over her shoulders as she exited the building and walked towards the commotion.

She glanced to her side, and locked eyes with Rumpelstiltskin. They made a wordless plan, as they both raised their hands, already glowing with magic. They looked away from each other and towards the sphinx, the power thrumming in their fingertips.

The magic struck out and the sphinx was encased in a purple smoke, slumping to the ground and creating a tremor in the ground. The crowd turned to face the two magic wielders with confused and suspicious glances.

"Regina? Rumpelstiltskin?" Snow asked in complete disbelief.

"Don't act so surprised, dearie," Rumpel replied, and Regina suppressed her smirk. "It's not as if I could let you die."

Snow remained suspicious as Jefferson cut in, "We appreciate it."

"We could've fought it off on our own," Grumpy said matter-of-factly.

"As if," Regina scoffed as Henry came bounding into the street.

He looked at the sphinx. "Is it really dead?"

"We'll have to wait and see, kiddo," Emma says, pulling him against her in a hug. She kisses the top of his head lightly, but then draws her head back up, embarrassed at that sort of public display of affection.

Charming watched the body of the sphinx turn back into the form of a woman. "It's definitely dead," he offered. The rest of the crowd turned to solemnly look upon the woman.

Interrupting the silence, Red asked, "Anybody want dinner?"

. . . . . . . . . . .

I sat at the table, taking a sip from my teacup. I noticed Marie sit down out of the corner of my eye, but I didn't meet her eye. "Grace," she said, letting out a breath. "I'm sorry for what I said." Silence. "I'll still stand by you." Silence. "Fine," she stated with an air of regret.

I glanced up at her quickly before looking back down at my cup of tea. The words _You're no savior _were still burned in my mind and it hurt to think of her uttering them.

Down the hall, I heard a door shut and footsteps bounding down the hall. Marie and I both looked up to see the White Rabbit, looking frightened.

"He's gone."

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N I'm so sorry it took so long to update, and I hope you all still have an interest in this story. Also, I have an idea and I want to see if you all liked it.**

**I've been toying with the idea of Belle going through the hat and trying to rescue Grace, so yeah, tell me if you want to see that in a review.**

**On that note, please review.**


	33. Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

"What?" I asked, springing from my seat at the table. I moved past the White Rabbit to the blue-walled room. It was empty, the bedspread tossed to the side. "Oh my god," I muttered, wrapping my hands around the bedframe.

Letting out a deep breath, I turned away and left the room, shutting the door gently behind me. I returned to the dining room, where the creatures had gathered, their faces frightened.

"He's gone," I said, not looking at any of them. "You were right. I'm an idiot." I glanced up, my eyes raking over each of their faces.

"It's fine," the Mock Turtle reassured, but I shook my head.

"We might just be the worst militia in any world, and I'm no savior."

"But you are," the White Rabbit rushed. "It was in the prophecy."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "There was a prophecy?"

"Oh yes," the White Rabbit responded. "That you would be the savior of our land. Finish the job for Alice. A girl named Grace."

"We honestly thought you would be older than this," the Gryphon said.

I nodded once. "I wasn't expecting to come this early, either." I take a seat at the table, resting my head in my hands. "They know where we are now," I said quietly. "We have to fight." The room became silent, except for the sobs of the Mock Turtle. _I'm going to need to fix that, _I thought to myself as I stood from the table.

"Savior," the White Rabbit said gently. "We have no weapons, no plan, no talent."

"Basically, we're a mess," Marie concluded, and I smiled lightly. "But this is a plan that I can agree with." She sighed. "What else is there for us to do?"

"We cannot fight," Bill protested. "She'll kill us all."

I let out sigh. "It's the only choice we have," I told them. "Unless you want to run. But they would surely catch us."

Marie shrugged. "It seems like our only chance is to fight."

"That's an illogical conclusion," the White Rabbit rushed. "Fighting is not the answer."

"It seems like it is," the Gryphon cut in. I looked at him with a faint smile.

"It's the best chance we have," I said sadly, looking at each of them. My statement was met with silence, so I continued, "We'll head out later today. And we'll go up against her tomorrow morning."

. . . . . . . . . . .

Belle sat down behind the counter in the pawnshop, immediately enthralled by the chest of potions on the surface. She ran a hand over the vials, looking at the little symbols beneath. "Beautiful," she murmured, taken by the rick colors of the different potions, but she was particularly attracted to a cerulean liquid with a glimmer of gold twisting in the middle.

The brunette pulled the vial from the trunk and held it closer to her face, smiling lightly as she watched the twist of gold dance. She shut the trunk and jumped slightly as the bell rang, looking up to see Rumplestiltskin. "Belle," he greeted as she pulled the potion down to her side.

"Hello," she replied, slipping the vial into her pocket. "It was good what you did out there," Belle said, standing from her seat and moving around the counter.

"Why thank you, Belle," he replied with a half smile. "But I'm no hero."

"But you're getting better," she reminded him. "And that's enough. Hero or not, I love you." Belle leaned forward and pressed a light kiss against his lips.

Rumple gave her a small smile. "They're having a party at the diner," he said, running a finger along her smooth cheek. "Would you like to go?"

She nodded. "I would love to." Belle made for the door, but turned, realizing he wasn't following her. She raised a brow. "Aren't you coming?"

"No, dearie," he replied, shaking his head. "It's been a long day for me."

"Oh," Belle said quietly. "Then I'll stay."

"Oh no," Rumple told her. "Go get some dinner. It's on Red."

"Fine," Belle agreed as he smiled at her. "I won't be long."

"I'm sure," he said as she made for the door. Once the door shut behind her, Belle pulled the potion from her pocket and studying it closely.

_What will it do? _she mused. _It's got to be important. _Belle slipped her eyes closed as she puzzled over why she had even grabbed the potion. She couldn't help but feel that whatever this bottle could offer, she would need it where she was going. She let out a stilted breath before pushing open the door to the diner and stepping inside.

"Belle," Red greeted with a smile and the others looked up at the short brunette.

"Hello," she replied, walking more into the diner.

"Belle?" Henry questioned. "As in Rumplestiltskin's Belle?"

The woman laughed. "Yes. I am that Belle." She took a seat across from the boy as the others turned back to their meals and conversations.

"I'm Henry," the boy replied, offering her his hand from across the table. She shook it. "Where were you during the curse?"

"The asylum," she replied, her voice void of emotion. Shaking her head and putting on a smile, Belle said, "Jefferson let me out." She looked at the boy before inquiring, "How do you get to Wonderland?"

Henry's brow furrowed. "Wonderland? Why do you want to go there?"

"Grace is there, isn't she?"

"She is," Henry replied. He though a moment before saying, "You want to bring her back. Because you think you owe Jefferson one."

Belle nodded. "You're a rather intelligent boy." She grinned at him.

Henry returned the smile before beckoning her forward. The woman leaned in eagerly as Henry said in a hushed tone, "I'll tell you what you need to know."

. . . . . . . . . . .

A stream of light broke across the floor as Belle slowly pushed opened the door to Jefferson's room. On light feet, she moved towards the bed, the light from the doorway illuminating his face and the hat sitting on the bedside table. She took it in her hands, her fingers traveling over the worn fabric.

On a whim, she murmured, "I'll bring your daughter back." Turning abruptly, she crept out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Belle quietly took the stairs two at a time, walking into the shop. Setting the hat on the counter, she scanned the shelves for some sort of magical trinket. Coming across a blue ring, she picked it up, rolling it over a few times in her hands. She dropped it in the hat, stepping back in shock as it began to spin, emitting a purple smoke.

Belle watched as it spun faster and faster, and, shutting her eyes, she jumped. She opened her eyes to find herself tumbling downwards. Suddenly, her feet made contact with the hard ground and she sprawled out on the marble floor of the circular room. Belle sat up, shakily getting to her feet and reaching into her pocket, relieved to find that the potion was still there.

Her eyes scanned the hall of doors, and she walked by each one, her hands running over them. Then she came to the looking glass that Henry had described. _Find the looking glass. Watch out for the Red Queen. Find the White Rabbit. Find Grace. Bring her back, _the ten-year-old's words echoed in her head.

Taking a breath, Belle stepped towards the mirror, brushing her hand over the intricate gold frame. "I always wanted adventure," she spoke to the empty room, before bravely stepping through, her image disappearing through the looking glass.

. . . . . . . . . . .

**A/N There's the chapter. Updates will probably be a bit slower, because of school and I have exams coming up. Also, I so imagine Henry and Belle plotting stuff. **

**Please review.**


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